WINDHOEK- Swapo Member of Parliament (MP) Heather Sibungo has lamented the fact that huge amounts of money meant for poverty alleviation and development continue to be returned to Treasury while their primary intended purpose remains unfulfilled.
In her maiden speech, the youthful MP said masses of people, particularly in rural areas, continue to languish in poverty because of ineptitude on the part of officials that were expected to implement specific projects for which the government allocates funds year in and year out.
“The income distribution gap of our country is unacceptable and all-out war against poverty as declared by the President should be our anthem in everyday life. Therefore, I would like to denounce the returning of money to Treasury by government ministries while the masses are in extreme poverty,” said Sibungo last week during the Sixth Parliamentary Session discussing the Resumption of the 2015/2016 Appropriation Bill. She said the National Youth Development Agenda should be the central point of socio-economic development to ensure that all young people are included in building the nation through a pro-youth development approach.
Sibungo said the government has good plans on paper, but she reiterated that the electorate does not eat paper rather they want tangible results on the ground. “People want results let us instil and develop a culture of implementation but in an accountable and transparent manner. I am highly disturbed by the hardship our remote community undergoes due to lack of service,” she said.
Sibungo further stated that the need for electrification programme in rural areas should be dealt with urgency, emphasizing that on a daily basis rural communities endure hardships such as using candles for their schoolwork while classes are conducted under trees because there are no classrooms.
“Teachers are drained of their own resources for the sake of the learners; this is unacceptable in a small population state like Namibia. The electrification programme should go ahead without financial constraints and unnecessary bureaucratic hindrance and we will unwaveringly put our political willpower behind this programme,” said Sibungo, who hails from very humble beginnings as she was born in the remote area of Nsundwa in flood-prone Kabbe Constituency in the Zambezi Region. Another Swapo MP, Agnes Kafula, said the fight against the scourge of poverty should be tackled with intensity and all institutions, organisations and individuals trying to fight poverty should be empowered.
She described poverty as being ruthless and a cunning enemy, which causes destruction, hunger, homelessness, unemployment and a high crime rate. Kafula added that the country’s leaders should put the issue under scrutiny because poverty frustrates not only the victims.
She said good governance, transparency, best practices and timely interventions are needed. “With this multitude of weapons in our arsenal we will completely push back and eradicate poverty out of our midst. Our charge is to put together and create legislation, resolutions, action plans, strategies, policies of a formidable kind within this great agenda of poverty eradication for success,” further explained the former Windhoek mayor.