No, Mr President
IN 2012 we witnessed increased unrest in the public sector caused by demands for better wages and living standards. Yet the Namibian government wasn’t even willing to meet these civil servants halfway. A few weeks later after ordinary public servants were given a ridiculously low increment across-the-board, top public office holders received a ridiculously high increment, which the President permitted.
When ordinary public servants went on strike to demand for improved conditions, you, President Hifikepunye Pohamba, were nowhere to be seen or heard saying anything on the issue. Would it be an exaggeration to say that you don’t seem to care about the demands of the ordinary public workforce? The increment of ministers and other high public office holders was issued in a short time, with your approval. Considering the state of the nation in which we apparently are ever short on money to pay ordinary public servants decent salaries, improve our health services, increase the social grant of the elderly and create a social grant scheme for the nation – we never cease to portray a life of opulence for politicians.
Is it fair that in a nation where we have to be asking various donor communities to assist in the maintenance of our national roads, HIV-AIDS programmes, OVC programmes, we set millions of dollars aside to acquire Mercedes-Benzes for politicians?
From the look of things, we aren’t overstating as the public to say that the current government has proven to us as to what its priorities are. Human concern seems not to be shared by our current government.
Our government is trapped and enslaved in the culture of self-indulgence and materialism. Resources are best used as long as they only protect and further the interest of politicians.
The opulent lifestyle you continue to shower on your ministers contributes to social injustice and is feeding the spirit of hyper-capitalism, in which the politicians are ever getting the biggest and best of things at the expense of the nation’s ordinary people.
Mr President, many of us rejoiced at your inauguration, you seemed to have had the bull by the horns to bring about transformation in our government – in your inaugural speech. Down the road, you have continued to endorse the greed of politicians at the expense of ordinary citizens and public servants. We as a nation would like to see you taking ownership of your government and reduce unnecessary spending which makes politicians live like kings and queens.
Basilius M Kasera
Via the website