Matheus Hamutenya
Berseba
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila says the New Equitable Empowerment Framework (NEEEF) will bring prosperity to all Namibians.
She said NEEEF presents a good chance to advance prosperity to all Namibians from all spheres of life, unlike the current situation where most Namibians remain poor and without access to their own resources, which are only being exploited by a small minority.
Speaking during the 6th annual /Hai-/Khaua Traditional Authority festival in Berseba on Saturday, she stressed tthe need to make the country’s resources accessible to all in the country, which she said will bring about prosperity in all corners of the land.
She said NEEEF is important as it aims to appease more equitable distribution of resources, stressing that currently “only a small portion of our population has ownership of our natural resources and are enjoying the benefits derived from the growth of our economy”, which she said needs to change.
The PM explained the intention of NEEEF is to ensure that there is not only higher and sustainable growth, but that the benefits of that growth are evenly distributed across the entire Namibia, to ensure that poverty becomes a thing of the past.
“Once we have finalised NEEEF, we hope to achieve equity that we seek – we agree that we have enough resources in this country to take everyone out of poverty and if we work together to ensure that our policy framework enables us to do that, then we will all prosper,” she said.
She also touched on the land and genocide issues, saying the government is ready to engage all relevant stakeholders in the hope of coming up with good solutions to these sensitive issues.
On the land question, the PM indicated that as Namibians prepare for the second land conference slated for September this year, it is important that all interested parties come prepared with excellent ideas on how to tackle the issue.
“As we prepare for the land conference it is crucial that we debate this sensitive issue with the aim of designing policies that ensure that we find solutions to the challenges that currently hamper the land reform process,” she noted.
She further said government is equally hard at work to find a solution to the genocide issue, but called on the affected parties to be united as they push for justice to prevail.
“As your elected government we assure you that we will ensure that justice is done for our people, and we also assure you that the doors of your government offices are always open for those who want to discuss this issue, or any other issues,” she stated.