Rose-Mary Haufiku
Residents of the Samora Machel constituency, who demonstrated at the constituency office in Wanaheda last month, alleging tribalism in distribution of food bank parcels, are still waiting for feedback from the authorities.
Councillor Nestor Kalola said the demonstration transpired as a result of a recent decision by the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare to convert its food bank scheme and marginalised grant to cash transfers.
He added the demonstration was most likely prompted by the list that was published on the public notice board at the constituency office to inform the residents who have qualified for cash transfers as per the selection by the ministry.
“As such, the demonstrators made allegations of favouritism and tribalism against me with regards to the published list,” he explained.
He, however, said the food bank and marginalised grant are administered by the ministry of poverty eradication and not the constituency office.
President Hage Geingob in September last year announced the transformation of the food bank to a cash-based transfer (CBT).
The food bank, since its launch in 2016, has benefited 45 000 Namibians from 11 000 households in peri-urban and urban areas.
Community leader Godfried Kauhanda said the list of those receiving food bank parcels includes more than 500 people, of which the majority are from one tribe.
Kauhanda said: “About 85% of people on the list are Wamboes that the councillor is familiar with. Hereros and Damaras and other ethnic groups are not getting anything.”
Kauhanda added they were asked to write down the names of individuals who are in need of food and they did so but their names did not show on the list of those who are currently getting food bank parcels.
“Just because you have a television at home and fridge, they think you don’t need the food or the grant. Yes, we have the fridge but it is empty, there is no food,” he said.
“We want to know what happened to the names of the Hereros and Ovambanderus who were registered but never received food,” he demanded.
The demonstrators are demanding the process of distributing grants and food bank parcels be halted so all residents in the constituency can be notified to register.
Asked for comment on the matter, Khomas governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua said the regional councillor’s office is in consultation with the ministry of poverty eradication regarding the issue.
“We will give an official response to the community once we are done with the consultation. It is not the regional councillor’s decision to make but the ministry’s,” she said.
One of the demonstrators said they are in serious need of the grant and the food bank parcels to feed their children.
“We need both money and food, not just food. Some of us are single mothers. Before Covid-19 we used to hustle but now we don’t have any means of survival, our children are hungry and they can’t go to school on empty stomachs. The government must give us food and money,” she requested.
Numerous efforts over several weeks to get a comment from the ministry proved futile.
Samora Machel constituency is located across four northern suburbs of Windhoek: Wanaheda, Greenwell Matongo, Goreangab, and part of Havana. As of 2010, it had 32 000 inhabitants.
Most of the residents of this constituency are unemployed.