2016-02-03Staff Report 2 Windhoek Member of Parliament Veikko Nekundi last weekend donated 10 pigs valued at N$17 000 to a youth group in Opuwo towards empowering them. Nekundi said he decided to support the Opuwo Constituency Youth Forum after he learned the youths in the region were keen to engage in economic activities aimed at eradicating poverty. “Noting that the youth are seriously faced with economic annihilation by the multi-national company (MNC) cartels we have no choice as a matter of priority to seize control of our economic destiny by, amongst others, strategic interventions, and creating economic empowerment groups or what can also be termed group economics among the youth,” said the acting secretary of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL). Nekundi said such ambitions can only be realized if the youth start to appreciate and support services and commodities manufactured by fellow Namibians, especially fellow youths. “As the youth of this country we must swiftly formalize our enterprises and make sure we create youth-integrated supply and distribution chains for our goods and services,” he said. According to Nekundi, the time is now to awaken to the truth that the system of MNC supremacy should not continue “and realistically this can only be stopped if we embrace the concept of group economics and establish our supply and distribution systems”. “We cannot be in our own country, as the youth of this country, yet getting crumbs falling off the tables of the MNCs. Remember we must do all these required system changes without interrupting our economic stability and to the detriment of our citizens,” he charged. He said it is a shame that the youth talk as one bloc but when it comes to supporting one another through youth enterprises they shy away from each other. “Therefore, today should mark the beginning of ‘youth support youth enterprises’; it should be the beginning of Namibian youth group economics. Indeed it should be the beginning of Namibian youth economic empires,” he said. “In view of the above, I would like to see pork in all shops/restaurants/guest houses/B&Bs in Opuwo procured from this project. If these enterprises refuse to buy the pork from you or manipulate shelf prices, please take action within the ambit of our laws to force them to procure from the locals,” he said. 2016-02-03Staff Report 2
