Nama clan leaders write to Pohamba

NAMA leaders in the South have called on President Hifikepunye Pohamba to treat their economic empowerment demands with the necessary sensitivity and urgency to reverse the economic exclusion of the Nama people.

In a letter submitted to Pohamba last week, a copy of which is in possession of The Namibian, the leaders claim that they are not “demanding entitlements, but want the playing field to be levelled”. “We want to have a situation where people of the region [Karas] should earn their living through just and transparent processes, which are non-discriminatory,” the letter reads.”We want to see very serious efforts on the part of Government to help with the preferential procurement in Government, local and regional authorities and State-owned enterprises,” the letter continues.In addition to direct economic empowerment, the leaders also want a vocational training centre established in the region.”We are dealing with lives here, for which we all were willing to lay down our lives and for whom we cherish a hope for a better tomorrow otherwise the freedom struggle was in vain,” the letter reads.The Nama traditional leaders are set to meet fishing industry leaders at Luederitz today to discuss how the region’s inhabitants, especially the Nama people, can enter the economic mainstream.”We want to have a situation where people of the region [Karas] should earn their living through just and transparent processes, which are non-discriminatory,” the letter reads.”We want to see very serious efforts on the part of Government to help with the preferential procurement in Government, local and regional authorities and State-owned enterprises,” the letter continues.In addition to direct economic empowerment, the leaders also want a vocational training centre established in the region.”We are dealing with lives here, for which we all were willing to lay down our lives and for whom we cherish a hope for a better tomorrow otherwise the freedom struggle was in vain,” the letter reads.The Nama traditional leaders are set to meet fishing industry leaders at Luederitz today to discuss how the region’s inhabitants, especially the Nama people, can enter the economic mainstream.