Enough Of Viva This And Viva That

I AM prompted to write this letter by Gwen Lister’s Political Perspective of 23 May 2009 on ministerial accountability and a letter on rural youth empowerment by the Swapo youth leader Dr. Elijah Ngurare of 15 May 2009 in The Namibian newspaper.

Let me say that I am a Swapo supporter although I don’t have a membership card yet. In this letter I am trying to give constructive criticism and it should not be taken personally as politics is not warfare. I therefore want to agree with you editor that there is lack of serious accountability in general. One example I take is the N$3 million which went missing in the Ministry of Defence.
It is known how it got lost but the problem was just reshuffled and recycled as you said in your Perspective. In my circle of colleagues and friends, it is known that the Ministry of Defence is alleged to be the most corrupt in the entire Government of Namibia. I have never heard the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces addressing this issue.
Who is going to address it or is there is a need for a Commission of Inquiry to investigate freely corruption in the MoD, and especially the Namibian Defence Force? Who is to be held accountable when every position in NDF is knowingly occupied only by relatives, concubines and girlfriends of someone in the NDF hierachy?
If this is not so, the ACC can launch its own investigation. I plead as a bonus for the Great Walk on Corruption, that an announcement of a Commission of Inquiry must be made on the same day to show seriousness on the fight against corruption.
Another example is the very careless way some ministries deal with giving information to the public. I think a letter to the President or Minister might take months to be answered.
Imagine that in this day and age Government has no reliable website and they want to connect with the youth vote?
State House and Prime Minister’s Offices could have been leading the information highway, but no it is still running as if we are still in the bush fighting PW Botha, forgetting the man is long dead.
At least Fidel Castro has long caught up with this new technology with letters that he regularly sends throughout the world. I read the other day even the Pope is on Facebook, yet he is much older than the President and Prime Minister of Namibia.
I conclude now with the letter on rural empowerment by the youth league leader, Dr Elijah Ngurare. Focusing on what I have said above, I don’t see how the crusade for rural development and rural youth empowerment can succeed. It even seems to me he is a lone voice in that.
Does he know that for a rural youth to invite the Minister, director even the President, the State has to pay thousands of dollars in S&T to these officials? Does he, the youth leader know that some of these officials never even give change to the village youth, only slogans of viva this or viva that.
The solution, in my opinion, must come from a combination of accountability and serious political will to make the slogans of the government and political leaders noticeable.
As we know in this year of elections, there will be a lot of promises by politicians who want to go to Parliament. But for me the only other party besides Swapo that has my respect is the Congress of Democrats because at least it has good representation unlike the frustrated leadership of RDP or APP who are basically just playing to the gallery and window-dressing minorities to prove that they are parties with national representation.
As the saying goes, you can fool some people some of the time but not all the time. Namibians are awake this time. If you will allow me also Ms Gwen Lister, I want very much to thank you and your team for your steadfastness.
CB
Via e-mail
Note: Name and address provided – Ed