OSHAKATI – The leader of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), McHenry Venaani announced his party will this week table a motion in parliament to open a debate on the provision of free education for undergraduate courses.
Venaani made the announcement at PDM’s Central Committee meeting that was held at Oshakati last Saturday.
The outspoken official opposition leader said the debate for free tertiary education should be at the forefront of addressing the problems facing the youth, such as the lack of skills.
PDM president said currently, money is being spend and stolen in the wrong places instead of being channeled to much critical areas where it is needed most.
“If we had spent the N$200 million that was stolen at the SME Bank on education, we would have developed 4000 Namibians with free degrees, but we have money to go to the loot,” Venaani said as he emphasised the need for free education.
The meeting was attended by 72 central committee members from across the country.
The party assembled to prepare itself for the upcoming national elections, next year.
PDM also deliberated on its Document Zero coded strategic plan that unpacks the movement’s strategic and tactic process towards breaking Swapo’s 2/3 majority vote attained in the previous elections.
He said the much-needed skills needed to drive value addition in the country is possible, if deliberate measures and efforts are put in place to ensure that such skills are created free of charge.
He said the free education program can be piloted by providing free education to at least 50 percent before rolling it out to all the students.
“We cannot leave the youth suffering the way they are suffering,” said Venaani.
On the youth, he also called on the Minister of Finance Calle Schlettwein to consider scrapping all imports tax requirements on spare parts goods imported, to allow small businesses to flourish for more jobs to be created.
Venaani said PDM disagrees with government’s thinking that by increasing its tax, it will get the economy back on rebound.
“No, it is in fact in times like these that you need to look at possibilities of reducing your tax, so that the economy can rebound, because if you are taxing the small business people lesser, they are going to employ more people,” he said.
Venaani also spoke against foreign nationals, particularly the Chinese getting manual jobs in the country.
“We shall object to all our opportunities taken away from our people, we shall make sure that the young of our country receive opportunities in the country of birth,” said Venaani.