Hurricane Katrina roars into NA: Govt slammed for flood response

MONITOR Action Group MP Jurie Viljoen yesterday sparked uproar in the National Assembly when he alluded that Government was slow to respond to the plight of Mariental residents hit by the flood two weeks ago, because the majority are white people.

Viljoen compared the situation to the United States, where President George W Bush has been harshly criticised for his handling of the flooding of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina last year, because those affected were largely African-Americans. “There is a very narrow line between the implementation of affirmative action and racial discrimination,” said Viljoen.He was speaking on a motion introduced by the Congress of Democrats last week, to discuss what the party termed the unsatisfactory state of affairs and lack of affirmative action both in the public and private sectors.”When officials of the Government did an observation of the flood at Mariental, [there was] a sigh of relief.The informal settlement was not hurt badly by the flood.It is the white people who suffered most,” said Viljoen.His remarks caused Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Marlene Mungunda to object to his vocabulary, saying that it was “outdated and unacceptable” for an MP to speak of “white” and “black” people.”We only know one Namibia, one nation,” said Mungunda, saying she hailed from Mariental and knew of many people who regularly suffered in the informal settlements because their shacks “rained through”.”It’s like HIV-AIDS.If I’m tested and I’m infected, my whole family is affected.It’s like that.We must be united on things like this,” she said.Without mentioning her name, Viljoen alluded that the Hardap Governor Katrina Hanse would sideline white residents at Mariental from benefiting from the N$10 million in aid Government had allocated for humanitarian assistance.”We must be very careful with that lady.One of these days she will declare herself mother of the nation.We don’t need such power-hungry creatures in Namibia …[she] is a disgrace for national reconciliation,” said Viljoen.He was referring to reports in which Hanse is alleged to have forced a church that collected aid for the affected to hand it over to her for distribution.Viljoen pressed on, saying affirmative action had the potential of having a negative impact on future generations.He said in his opinion Government’s affirmative action law was “draconian” and “unfortunate”, because it was being driven by politics.Viljoen was made to withdraw these remarks, which were ruled out of order.Attorney General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana asked Viljoen to make proposals on how he thought the effects of apartheid could best be reversed.Viljoen said it was the view of his party that affirmative action should be carried out in the national interest, have a time frame for achieving the goals and should not become a “game to shuffle black and white pieces”.”Affirmative action should be done on merit,” said Viljoen.Tomorrow the Republican Party’s Henk Mudge is also expected to make the Mariental floods a matter for discussion in Parliament, by tabling a motion to discuss its causes and mitigation measures.”There is a very narrow line between the implementation of affirmative action and racial discrimination,” said Viljoen.He was speaking on a motion introduced by the Congress of Democrats last week, to discuss what the party termed the unsatisfactory state of affairs and lack of affirmative action both in the public and private sectors.”When officials of the Government did an observation of the flood at Mariental, [there was] a sigh of relief.The informal settlement was not hurt badly by the flood.It is the white people who suffered most,” said Viljoen.His remarks caused Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Marlene Mungunda to object to his vocabulary, saying that it was “outdated and unacceptable” for an MP to speak of “white” and “black” people.”We only know one Namibia, one nation,” said Mungunda, saying she hailed from Mariental and knew of many people who regularly suffered in the informal settlements because their shacks “rained through”.”It’s like HIV-AIDS.If I’m tested and I’m infected, my whole family is affected.It’s like that.We must be united on things like this,” she said.Without mentioning her name, Viljoen alluded that the Hardap Governor Katrina Hanse would sideline white residents at Mariental from benefiting from the N$10 million in aid Government had allocated for humanitarian assistance.”We must be very careful with that lady.One of these days she will declare herself mother of the nation.We don’t need such power-hungry creatures in Namibia …[she] is a disgrace for national reconciliation,” said Viljoen.He was referring to reports in which Hanse is alleged to have forced a church that collected aid for the affected to hand it over to her for distribution.Viljoen pressed on, saying affirmative action had the potential of having a negative impact on future generations.He said in his opinion Government’s affirmative action law was “draconian” and “unfortunate”, because it was being driven by politics.Viljoen was made to withdraw these remarks, which were ruled out of order.Attorney General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana asked Viljoen to make proposals on how he thought the effects of apartheid could best be reversed.Viljoen said it was the view of his party that affirmative action should be carried out in the national interest, have a time frame for achieving the goals and should not become a “game to shuffle black and white pieces”.”Affirmative action should be done on merit,” said Viljoen.Tomorrow the Republican Party’s Henk Mudge is also expected to make the Mariental floods a matter for discussion in Parliament, by tabling a motion to discuss its causes and mitigation measures.