Hamutenya hits at handouts

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya has urged Namibians to work hard and stop relying on Government handouts.

Addressing residents of the Ohangwena Constituency, in the Ohangwena Region, at 14th Independence anniversary celebrations on Monday, Hamutenya said Namibia would not be able to sustain itself if its residents did not put their shoulders to the wheel. The Minister called on those who want to set up businesses to do so through the right channels, and in so doing to create employment for themselves and others.Hamutenya castigated business people who were reluctant to enter into joint ventures.”These tendencies that are in many of our businesspeople, especially in the North, of being alone in business is not building up the nation and the economy of the country, but rather destroying it,” the Minister said.He also spoke out against people who waited to receive drought relief food from Government every year, saying it was a bad habit.”Yes, nowadays we are no longer getting good rainfall as in the past and that’s why the Government has decided to distribute drought relief food to those who cannot produce enough mahangu for themselves, but now that we received good rains, we have to work very hard to produce our own food ourselves,” Hamutenya said.He said those who were landless would soon have land as Government had decided to expropriate some farms for resettlement.The Minister called on those who want to set up businesses to do so through the right channels, and in so doing to create employment for themselves and others.Hamutenya castigated business people who were reluctant to enter into joint ventures.”These tendencies that are in many of our businesspeople, especially in the North, of being alone in business is not building up the nation and the economy of the country, but rather destroying it,” the Minister said.He also spoke out against people who waited to receive drought relief food from Government every year, saying it was a bad habit.”Yes, nowadays we are no longer getting good rainfall as in the past and that’s why the Government has decided to distribute drought relief food to those who cannot produce enough mahangu for themselves, but now that we received good rains, we have to work very hard to produce our own food ourselves,” Hamutenya said.He said those who were landless would soon have land as Government had decided to expropriate some farms for resettlement.