Another Wasteful Exercise

Open letter to Dr Mose TjitenderoSpeakerNational Assembly

Dear Dr Tjitendero IT is with shock that I read about your concern that the hall of the National Assembly was too small for two annual events, namely the Opening of Parliament and the State of the Nation address of HE the President! These events take at the most two hours, except for the glutinous feasts afterwards, and are televised live, making it possible for thousands of Namibians to see the event. Besides, is the NA not fully equipped with teleconferencing so that the proceedings can be shown to guests in the other caucus rooms or outside? After all the ceremony for the adoption of the Namibian Constitution took place outside, in front of the Tintenpalast.How sad! The rest of the year there is plenty of room, so much so that on at least six occasions there are so many seats empty that the House cannot do its work due to a lack of quorum.Then there is no concern about who can see or hear the silence.Just look how empty the parking spaces are around the Tintenpalast and the new National Council building every other day of the year.Is Vision 2030 not about creating a better life for all and not only the 78 members of the NA and the 26 members of the NC during the few hours of the year they sit in or not sit in Parliament? Are these members not already overcompensated to serve one pillar of our democracy while the poverty outside the house increases?No wonder some people have dubbed Robert Mugabe Avenue as Poverty Avenue! Consider the priorities of the people, especially the children and elderly of this country! Increase grants to them instead of voting more money for non-generative capital for two elitist occasions!Civic watch Via e-mailNote: Real name and address provided – EdBesides, is the NA not fully equipped with teleconferencing so that the proceedings can be shown to guests in the other caucus rooms or outside? After all the ceremony for the adoption of the Namibian Constitution took place outside, in front of the Tintenpalast.How sad! The rest of the year there is plenty of room, so much so that on at least six occasions there are so many seats empty that the House cannot do its work due to a lack of quorum.Then there is no concern about who can see or hear the silence.Just look how empty the parking spaces are around the Tintenpalast and the new National Council building every other day of the year.Is Vision 2030 not about creating a better life for all and not only the 78 members of the NA and the 26 members of the NC during the few hours of the year they sit in or not sit in Parliament? Are these members not already overcompensated to serve one pillar of our democracy while the poverty outside the house increases?No wonder some people have dubbed Robert Mugabe Avenue as Poverty Avenue! Consider the priorities of the people, especially the children and elderly of this country! Increase grants to them instead of voting more money for non-generative capital for two elitist occasions!Civic watch Via e-mailNote: Real name and address provided – Ed