‘Nincompoop’ runs water show: MAG

A MOTION re-introduced by Parliamentarian Jurie Viljoen of the Monitor Action Group (MAG) not to exclude white Namibians from affirmative action measures was withdrawn just an hour after it was heard in the National Assembly.

Viljoen’s motion lapsed in July due to the winter recess and he was allowed to bring it back to the House again. The essence of his motion was to include all Namibians who started school after 1990 as beneficiaries of the affirmative action policy introduced after Independence in 1990, “irrespective of gender, race or colour.”Viljoen argued that affirmative action created two classes of citizens.Many qualified young white Namibians did not find employment, as previously disadvantaged citizens were preferred.These young whites usually had to leave the country and were lost to the economy, the MAG politician said.”Due to affirmative action, 70 000 skilled (white) graduates, the very people who could be leading the African Renaissance, abandon the continent every year.”If he could delete the apartheid era from history, he would do so immediately, Viljoen stated.The way jobs were reserved for whites before Independence was wrong, but the people had no choice at that time.The past should however not hamper the future and thus reconciliation should not be limited to “a certain group of people,” Viljoen said.”Affirmative action is not applied the way it was meant to be.During the past few months 17 people ranking from manager to senior manager resigned at NamWater,” Viljoen continued.”These experienced people resigned because they were parked on a side track where there were no challenges left and the intention of putting them there was in the hope that they will resign.”NamWater got rid of competent Namibians under a smoke screen, which they called reconstruction.The General Manager of Corporate Services is running the show at NamWater, because the Chief Executive Officer is easily overruled by this nincompoop,” Viljoen criticised.Some of the experts who resigned from NamWater now worked abroad in top positions, although their services were apparently no longer needed in Namibia, he said.”We will need a lot of consultants from abroad to bring this parastatal up to standard (again),” the MAG politician said.Viljoen said he got the information about NamWater from a memorandum, which he could make available to MPs at a later stage.”As long as we have two types of Namibian citizens, those who have to be enabled by affirmative action and those who have to be disabled, our Government will be like a car with a puncture,” Viljoen said.”As long as affirmative action divides the Namibian nation, reconciliation will be a phantasm, a mirage in the dry, hot desert, an obstacle to nation building,” he concluded.Debate started instantly and both Katuutire Kaura of the DTA and Fisheries Minister Dr Abraham Iyambo asked Viljoen to withdraw the motion, calling it “naïve, racist, insensitive and provocative”.Teatime came and when the Members were back in the Chamber, Viljoen said he was withdrawing his motion.The essence of his motion was to include all Namibians who started school after 1990 as beneficiaries of the affirmative action policy introduced after Independence in 1990, “irrespective of gender, race or colour.”Viljoen argued that affirmative action created two classes of citizens.Many qualified young white Namibians did not find employment, as previously disadvantaged citizens were preferred.These young whites usually had to leave the country and were lost to the economy, the MAG politician said.”Due to affirmative action, 70 000 skilled (white) graduates, the very people who could be leading the African Renaissance, abandon the continent every year.”If he could delete the apartheid era from history, he would do so immediately, Viljoen stated.The way jobs were reserved for whites before Independence was wrong, but the people had no choice at that time.The past should however not hamper the future and thus reconciliation should not be limited to “a certain group of people,” Viljoen said.”Affirmative action is not applied the way it was meant to be.During the past few months 17 people ranking from manager to senior manager resigned at NamWater,” Viljoen continued.”These experienced people resigned because they were parked on a side track where there were no challenges left and the intention of putting them there was in the hope that they will resign.”NamWater got rid of competent Namibians under a smoke screen, which they called reconstruction.The General Manager of Corporate Services is running the show at NamWater, because the Chief Executive Officer is easily overruled by this nincompoop,” Viljoen criticised.Some of the experts who resigned from NamWater now worked abroad in top positions, although their services were apparently no longer needed in Namibia, he said.”We will need a lot of consultants from abroad to bring this parastatal up to standard (again),” the MAG politician said.Viljoen said he got the information about NamWater from a memorandum, which he could make available to MPs at a later stage.”As long as we have two types of Namibian citizens, those who have to be enabled by affirmative action and those who have to be disabled, our Government will be like a car with a puncture,” Viljoen said.”As long as affirmative action divides the Namibian nation, reconciliation will be a phantasm, a mirage in the dry, hot desert, an obstacle to nation building,” he concluded.Debate started instantly and both Katuutire Kaura of the DTA and Fisheries Minister Dr Abraham Iyambo asked Viljoen to withdraw the motion, calling it “naïve, racist, insensitive and provocative”.Teatime came and when the Members were back in the Chamber, Viljoen said he was withdrawing his motion.