Lahja Nashuuta

During question time at yesterday’s State of the Nation Address (Sona), opposition members of parliament questioned and scrutinised government’s developmental programmes and efforts, while also probing President Nangolo Mbumba on allegations of fraud against him and Swapo. Other issues opposition MPs were concerned about included the status of education, high unemployment, resettlement and housing, as well as the red line. Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani hammered on the issues of accountability and corruption, asking the president to confirm whether he is ready to answer to the Fishrot allegations against him as the former Swapo secretary general.

Venaani wanted to know if Mbumba, when called upon, would testify in the infamous Fishrot corruption trial, wherein the country’s fisheries were allegedly stolen en masse. 

He promised to make himself available if called upon. 

“I will testify,” he said nonchalantly. “You can check the record of the party. My name is very clear. I don’t have anything to testify, but if I am asked to appear before the court of law, I will,” Mbumba said.

He was Swapo secretary general between 2012 and 2017, a period during which key Swapo business personalities and Cabinent ministers allegedly diverted the public’s fisheries resources for their own benefit, at the expense of the masses. 

Venaani later told New Era the Sona lacked depth, and did not take the dynamics of having a three million population into consideration.

“Policies of government must address the needs of the population in our towns and regions. Just committing to building a hospital has been on the cards for years, and saying you have identified land and a contractor doesn’t say you are addressing health,” said the disappointed MP.

Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters’ leader Epaphras Mukwiilongo wanted to hear Mbumba’s position on the contested veterinary cordon fence, also known as the red line. 

Mbumba was adamant the red line must be removed. 

“This red line is a shoot, do not shoot thing. Those of you who have farms this side [south of the red line], you are saying don’t remove the red line because the economy of the whole country will collapse. Those who are on the other side are not fair people because you’re getting all the benefit to sell your meat. We in the north are not selling our meat. Instead of quarrelling about it, the principle idea is, let us remove it. But how and when, and how to spend money to remove it, that is really the question,” Mbumba retorted to the contentious issue.

With regards to high unemployment and government’s efforts to address the matter, Mbumba said Cabinet has introduced mitigating measures and programmes aimed at creating job opportunities. 

“Nobody is happy that people do not have jobs. That is why this year the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises allocated a huge budget to the Ministry of Education to ensure that young people are trained in vocational training, and other youth development programmes have been created in order to address unemployment in the country,” said Mbumba.

Venaani further expressed his dissatisfaction with the budget allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform.

“I credit government. For the first time in the history of country, our national budget hit N$100 billion. But Mr President, with this budget, we need to create jobs and address the unemployment in the country. 

“Agriculture  is the backbone of the economy. However, the sector is  unfunded when it carries potential to address  food security and create jobs”, he argued.

Venaani further expressed his concern that most of the commercial land is still in the hands of foreigners. He asked the President to indicate how many farms were expropriated,  and how many people were resettled during government’s tenure. 

In this regard, the response was that Namibia will employ the land resettlement policy to acquire more land and ensure that people are settled. 

The issue of jobless fishermen also came up on Venaani’s rather long list of questions.

He interrogated the President on why the companies allocated fishing quotas are paying fishermen an incentive to stay at home. 

“How do you address the mass corruption happening in the fishing industry?”, Venaani asked.

“We are trying to make sure that quotas are allocated to the fishing companies, and that the jobs have been created. But if there is s a problem in the fishing industry, bring it fourth so we can address it”, the President observed.

Mukwiilongo was also concerned with the drought and hunger in the country.  

Mbumba acknowledged the drought, and described it as a cause of concern.

“We are assessing the situation to make sure that people have food, and livestock are taken care of in terms of feed and water. But as a country, we should produce our own food,” he added. 

Mbumba said various drought mitigation programmes are being deliberated at Cabinet level to address the situation. 

-lnashuuta@gmail.com