Windhoek
Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has hit back at the official opposition, the DTA of Namibia, that recently said in parliament that the Ministry of Defence’s N$6.6 billion allocation for the 2016/17 financial year is unwarranted, given that Namibia is not at war.
Deputy chief whip of the DTA Vipuakuje Muharukua said during the budget debate last week that Namibia periodically experiences droughts and floods, yet government does not make adequate use of soldiers to offer humanitarian assistance to the populace during such critical times.
The DTA also accused the uniformed men and women of idling and doing nothing productive in army barracks, instead of lending a helping hand in times of need, saying a readily available dual-function army should assist in all emergencies.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said those who expressed views against the defence budget did so out of ignorance about defence and security issues, adding that the DTA’s criticism was not measured against the defence force’s conventional mission in any country.
She insisted that the soldiers are not idle and that the DTA’s statement should be condemned in strongest terms for belittling the men and women in uniform, who have committed themselves to the defence of Namibia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“It must be underscored that the Namibian Defence Force is the only instrument of State that shall serve as the last resort on which the State shall rely when all other security elements of national power have failed.
“Gone are the days when defence forces across the globe are considered as killing machines only. They contribute immensely to socio-economic development and the well-being of people [and in this] the Namibian Defence Force has been doing exceptionally well,” she remarked.
In turn, DTA president McHenry Venaani said globally armies are used in emergencies, such as a huge fire outbreak, a tsunami and droughts.
“What is fundamentally wrong to ask soldiers to do extra services for a country they are prepared to serve? They must do more. The reality is most of our members are idling. If you go to Grootfontein and here at Luiperdsvalley [Military Base], people are just playing cards in the canteens.”
Venaani said the country is spending vast amounts on defence every year. “Where is the money going to if soldiers are underpaid?” he asked.
In response Nandi-Ndaitwah said there is no need for the DTA to remind government of the services offered by soldiers. She said – given that Namibia is prone to acute droughts and floods – the NDF is the only guarantor that can rescue the nation from such catastrophes.
She said the NDF has made immeasurable contributions by saving the lives of Namibians when the country faced catastrophic disasters, such as droughts and floods.
“The Namibian Defence Force has a reputation of ferrying people to the highlands during floods. Our defence force is also renowned for having transported thousands of tonnes of food and other necessities to needy people during disasters. That contribution has been going on for years and continues to date,” she said.
Opposing the N$6.6 billion defence budget, she said, is tantamount to gambling with people’s lives and the sovereignty of Namibia.