Ongwediva
Youths under the leadership of the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement are planning to stage a protest against the mooted construction of the N$2 billion new parliament building.
This information is contained in a letter AR wrote to Speaker of the National Assembly, Professor Peter Katjavivi, announcing the movement’s intentions.
The youths will present the memorandum to parliament on June 16.
According to Job Amupanda, co-founder of AR and member of the organising committee, all the interested youths from 14 regions are expected to arrive from 9h00 until 13h00 at Parliament Gardens on June 16.
Amupanda said parliament has already received the notice letter dated May 9 regarding the mass protest.
The activities are expected to officially commence around 14h00.
Amupanda said the decision to construct a new parliament is insensitive, inconsiderate, and ill conceived and constitutes self-help on the part of the National Assembly.
“We wish to convince the National Assembly that the N$2 billion should be channelled to housing to service 25 000 plots,” Amupanda suggested.
The land activist said for the Namibian people in general the choice between the comfort of 200 politicians and 25 000 plots is obvious.
He said the youths must first give the confines of the constitution an opportunity before rendering the constitutional order unable to meet the collective needs of the youth and people of Namibia.
Amupanda further threatened that if the new parliament building happened to be constructed, they will physically destroy it.
In March this year, Speaker Katjavivi was quoted in the media defending the construction of the new parliament, saying the N$2 billion building will accommodate both the National Assembly and National Council.