Labour Minister in racist attack

A MINISTER has brushed aside as nothing more than “raving” the distress of pensioners who had to wait for hours to re-register for their State pensions.

Instead Labour Minister Alfeus Naruseb has chosen to blame white pensioners, whom he accused of causing the fuss or, as he put it, “raving”. Pensioners had to queue for hours on end to re-register.In some cases, United Africa Group officials arrived at registration points more than three hours late, there were computer breakdowns and at some centres there was no place for the elderly to sit.Problems were also experienced in other parts of the country.Speaking in the National Assembly last Thursday, Naruseb made light of the problems of the elderly.While media reports indicate otherwise, the Minister was adamant that it was only white pensioners who had complained.Responding to a question by opposition member Jurie Viljoen of Monitor Action Group (MAG), Naruseb claimed that “the whole raving about the re-registration process is fuelled by some of our white sisters and brothers who seemed not to be willing to stand in queues, while the queue system is widely used all over the country at any institution, be it private, State-owned enterprises, non-governmental or community-based”.Said Naruseb: “We have realised that the complaints that were raised by the so-called concerned group of people are exactly those that are high on the social ladder and yet are still competing with the poorest of society to access this meagre pension money …impatience was the order of the day.”Naruseb then launched a personal attack on Viljoen, accusing him of jumping the queue “to take his family members for registration”, one of many claims that Viljoen later flatly denied.He was reliably informed about Viljoen’s “behaviour” at one of the registration points, Naruseb claimed to fellow MPs.”At the pay point it is alleged that the Member (Viljoen) tried to intimidate the officers by using his title as MP and apparent friendship bond that exists between him and me in order to get preferential treatment for his family members and friends to be registered quickly while other were waiting patiently,” Naruseb claimed.The Speaker did not intervene, although parliamentary standing rules and orders stipulate that MPs should not get personal or attack each other.”The total disorder the Member refers to was a situation that was started by him and his friends.Before the arrival of the Viljoen family and friends, both white and black members of society were standing in queues in an orderly fashion, patiently waiting,” Naruseb said.”However, when the Viljoen family and friends unceremoniously advanced to the front, the already tested patience of those in the queue boiled over and pandemonium was present everywhere.The report from the officers on the ground suggest that Mr Viljoen provoked the people and shouted at them who in turn shouted back.”Naruseb said it was noted that some white people allegedly received a double pension – one from South Africa and one from Namibia.This would be stopped, he said.The same went for some German-speaking pensioners and arrangements would be made with the German Embassy to put an end to this, the Minister said.After Naruseb finished his tirade, Viljoen rose to tell the House that the accusations Naruseb had made against him were totally unfounded.Naruseb did not address issues related to officials pitching up late, computer breakdowns and notable problems at registration centres at the coast.Pensioners had to queue for hours on end to re-register.In some cases, United Africa Group officials arrived at registration points more than three hours late, there were computer breakdowns and at some centres there was no place for the elderly to sit.Problems were also experienced in other parts of the country.Speaking in the National Assembly last Thursday, Naruseb made light of the problems of the elderly.While media reports indicate otherwise, the Minister was adamant that it was only white pensioners who had complained.Responding to a question by opposition member Jurie Viljoen of Monitor Action Group (MAG), Naruseb claimed that “the whole raving about the re-registration process is fuelled by some of our white sisters and brothers who seemed not to be willing to stand in queues, while the queue system is widely used all over the country at any institution, be it private, State-owned enterprises, non-governmental or community-based”.Said Naruseb: “We have realised that the complaints that were raised by the so-called concerned group of people are exactly those that are high on the social ladder and yet are still competing with the poorest of society to access this meagre pension money …impatience was the order of the day.”Naruseb then launched a personal attack on Viljoen, accusing him of jumping the queue “to take his family members for registration”, one of many claims that Viljoen later flatly denied.He was reliably informed about Viljoen’s “behaviour” at one of the registration points, Naruseb claimed to fellow MPs.”At the pay point it is alleged that the Member (Viljoen) tried to intimidate the officers by using his title as MP and apparent friendship bond that exists between him and me in order to get preferential treatment for his family members and friends to be registered quickly while other were waiting patiently,” Naruseb claimed.The Speaker did not intervene, although parliamentary standing rules and orders stipulate that MPs should not get personal or attack each other.”The total disorder the Member refers to was a situation that was started by him and his friends.Before the arrival of the Viljoen family and friends, both white and black members of society were standing in queues in an orderly fashion, patiently waiting,” Naruseb said.”However, when the Viljoen family and friends unceremoniously advanced to the front, the already tested patience of those in the queue boiled over and pandemonium was present everywhere.The report from the officers on the ground suggest that Mr Viljoen provoked the people and shouted at them who in turn shouted back.”Naruseb said it was noted that some white people allegedly received a double pension – one from South Africa and one from Namibia.This would be stopped, he said.The same went for some German-speaking pensioners and arrangements would be made with the German Embassy to put an end to this, the Minister said.After Naruseb finished his tirade, Viljoen rose to tell the House that the accusations Naruseb had made against him were totally unfounded.Naruseb did not address issues related to officials pitching up late, computer breakdowns and notable problems at registration centres at the coast.