Uakutura Kambaekua 

ONUNGURURA – Mike Kavekotora has urged Namibians to cast their votes sensibly in favour of a government of national unity in the forthcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections on 27 November.

The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) leader made this call during his party’s visit to the Epupa constituency.

“I pray every night for Namibia to have a coalition government, or a government of national unity,” he said.

He stressed that this is for the obvious reason that superiority in any field breeds arrogance, and falls short in meeting the demands of the general population.

Kavekotora urged voters to cast their ballots in a way that would open the door for a coalition administration.

“A coalition government is needed in Namibia. It’s almost a requirement… and I’m directly urging voters to vote so that we have a coalition government that will initiate the negotiation process whenever the government needs to make certain decisions,” he said.

He added that should he join the coalition, his goal is to support the underprivileged, the landless, the advancement of medical care and facilities – and most importantly, those who go to bed hungry.

Considering that ministries and other government posts are frequently divided among coalition partners to maintain balanced authority, he believes that having different parties rule the nation collaboratively promotes a sense of shared accountability and ownership of national concerns.

“A government of national unity (GNU) will prevent any one party from controlling the government,” he remarked.

He noted that the current administration has demonstrated ineffective leadership.

He said his proposed GNU will produce tangible results, despite the troubles with coalitions in local government.

The RDP president reaffirmed that his party’s pro-poor development agenda resonates with voters who view him as a sympathetic leader to the plight and ambitions of the underprivileged.

Donation 

On the same day, the party donated a boat worth N$115 000 to the community of Onungurura. 

The propeller boat engine is believed to have a carrying capacity of 10 people. 

It will ease accessibility between settlements, particularly the river crossing into Angola.

 Most Onungurura residents are said to have families residing on the other side of the river.

 Kavekotora stated this is in response to the community’s outcry for a lack of river transportation following the RDP’s recent visit to the village. 

He described the donation as “life-saving”.

“A few months back, two months to be specific, we went on a campaign trip to Epupa. There, we had a meeting with the community. One of the ideas of us having a meeting was basically to find out what problems they were experiencing. That’s where the idea came in for them to request us to at least help with a small boat,” he said.

He noted that the donated boat would ease and reduce travel costs, as inhabitants were usually charged N$50 for a single journey.

 The new boat is faster, more efficient and more contemporary.

The boat will be fully-owned by the community. Willing travellers will be charged a nominal fee. 

All dividends will be reinvested into the community.

Kavekotora also urged other political parties to “stop talking, and start acting”. He reaffirmed RDP’s commitment to transforming the country into a modern place, where everyone can thrive.

He said his party also donated water pipes to pensioners in Okavare village in the Sesfontein constituency, where the community competes for water with elephants. – Nampa