The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) launched its 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections campaign on Saturday with scores of supporters thronging the Romanus Kampungu stadium in Rundu, Kavango East region.
Addressing the party rally, PDM leader McHenry Venaani had a strong anti-corruption message, equating the vice to cancer, “a monstrous hydra that eats away the soul of the Namibian nation and degrades their dignity”.
He said PDM will continue tirelessly advocating for a stable and fair economy, eradicating corruption and monopolistic tendencies to create an economic space wherein every Namibian can thrive.
Venaani’s campaign was anchored on building a future all Namibians can be proud of.
He said it is disheartening to observe within the government ranks, the disregard for moral stewardship and the looting of state resources.
Such transgressions have fertilised the ground for corruption to flourish, he said.
“According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, Namibia is ranked 57 out of 180 countries, a fall from its previous ranking of 53.
“This is not just a number on a chart for a country as vibrant and promising as Namibia, which carries a flame of hope in Africa, but this also shows us an alarmingly downward trend,” Venaani said.
He added that corruption in Namibia has become an endemic, systemic problem.
“One only needs to cast a thought at the unsettling Fishrot scandal, a malignant stain on our nation’s reputation. Public officials siphoning off hundreds of millions meant for our nation’s fisheries, resulting in an erosion of public trust, a plummeting national economy, and most painfully, the harsh blow dealt to the thousands of our fishermen who were left unemployed. Namibians, that is the true cost of corruption,” Venaani stressed.
He added that people must remind themselves as Namibians, as Africans, and as global citizens, that maintaining silence in the face of wrongdoing renders them complicit.
“Swapo seems engulfed in an unsettling lethargy. We just need to look at the insufficient budget for the ACC every year to conclude this for ourselves. The lack of urgency resonates with a silence that deafens our collective conscience into senseless tolerance of wrongdoing,” the 45-year-old leader said.
Venaani turned to the human-wildlife conflict that has hit the region, saying over nine lethal crocodile attacks, “each one a tragic loss, each one a harsh reminder of the urgency this issue demands”.
“It is also a stark reminder of the hardships endured by our farming population - the hands that sow the seeds of tomorrow - as they meander through treacherous terrain and confront gruesome forces of nature, just to ensure that their families can drink, clean, and live,” he added.
Venaani said the PDM has repeatedly proved its commitment to safeguarding the well being of all Namibians and the focus should be geared towards educational campaigns about combating the threat of crocodiles and creating awareness about the safe use of water resources.
However, Venaani faces challenges of his own within the party.
The party is currently without a functional youth wing, while parliamentarian, Vipuakuje Muharukua’s campaign to dislodge Venaani from the helm has gone into overdrive as the party’s congress slated for early next year approaches.