Namibia’s seven deadly sins

UDF Chief Justus Garoeb has identified seven serious problems that he maintains Namibia is facing in attaining economic and social freedom.

The biggest of these, he told the National Assembly on Thursday, was economic inequality. Garoeb said Namibia was one of the most unequal countries in the world and according to figures he presented to the House, at least 20 per cent of the country’s children live in poverty-stricken households.He said on average people living in the northern regions earned ten times less than those in urban centres in the Khomas region, for example.”This inequity and poverty endangers our society’s harmony, happiness and peace,” he said.Other problems that required Government attention, Garoeb said, were unemployment, youth problems, HIV-AIDS and colonialism.Garoeb said the country was in a crisis because of the loss of many people to HIV-AIDS and the resultant growing number of orphans.He noted that since Independence life expectancy in Namibia had dropped by 17 years.Garoeb maintained that Namibians still did not fully understand the implications of HIV-AIDS and not nearly enough people were practising safe sex to prevent the further spread of the disease.Garoeb also took issue with the growing unemployment rate and its effect on the youth.He said the fact that a third of school children were unable to complete secondary school was one of the main reasons the youth turned to early sexual relationships, drugs, alcohol abuse and crime.He named the escalation of violent crime against women and children as the sixth most serious problem facing Namibia today.Garoeb said Namibia was one of the most unequal countries in the world and according to figures he presented to the House, at least 20 per cent of the country’s children live in poverty-stricken households.He said on average people living in the northern regions earned ten times less than those in urban centres in the Khomas region, for example.”This inequity and poverty endangers our society’s harmony, happiness and peace,” he said.Other problems that required Government attention, Garoeb said, were unemployment, youth problems, HIV-AIDS and colonialism.Garoeb said the country was in a crisis because of the loss of many people to HIV-AIDS and the resultant growing number of orphans.He noted that since Independence life expectancy in Namibia had dropped by 17 years.Garoeb maintained that Namibians still did not fully understand the implications of HIV-AIDS and not nearly enough people were practising safe sex to prevent the further spread of the disease.Garoeb also took issue with the growing unemployment rate and its effect on the youth.He said the fact that a third of school children were unable to complete secondary school was one of the main reasons the youth turned to early sexual relationships, drugs, alcohol abuse and crime.He named the escalation of violent crime against women and children as the sixth most serious problem facing Namibia today.