Not For The Greater Good

I AM writing with reference to the article that appeared on the front page of The Namibian on Wednesday 9 November 2005, titled ‘Law to be passed to bestow official title on Nujoma’.

I cannot help but wonder if our Government does not have any more serious and urgent matters to attend to, than to pass a law bestowing an official title on the FORMER president? The current President and Prime Minister are doing an excellent job in rooting out corruption in our country. But was it not during the first 15 years of our independence that this corruption was allowed to flourish? Let’s face it, those who are now being found guilty of acts of corruption, have not been involved in such acts since March of this year, no, it goes way back, back to an institution which turned a blind eye on such things.This was an institution led by a man who will now be officially known as the Founding Father of the Namibian Nation, a man still honoured by an outrageous pension of N$830 958 for this year (tax free), amounting to almost N$ 70 000 a month.Fair enough, Mr Nujoma was the first president of the Republic of Namibia, but aren’t we just going a little over the top? He is getting an overwhelming amount of money by way of the pension; furthermore, this pension is tax free for this financial year.I understand why it is tax free, the pension is paid for with taxpayers’ money, and it would be silly to tax the pension, because then the money would just be moving around in a circle i.e.from the taxpayer to the pension, and from the pension back to the taxes, however, the tax payer does not ever see any of that money again.Furthermore, the former president receives by law three cars, housing allowances, security personnel, drivers, two private secretaries, two personal attendants, two office attendants, three domestic staff, two cooks, two gardeners, two waiters, and two laundry people.That’s 17 people, not including the security staff and the drivers.I’d like you to read that again, just to completely grasp what exactly is being provided for the former president, by the State, with the taxpayer’s money.Am I the only one that thinks this is ridiculous? Are there not other just causes, which would benefit greatly, should this pension and other benefits be cut down to a realistic level and the leftover money given to those causes? Take for instance education and sport development.Are our tertiary institutions of an acceptable level? If so, then why are so many school-leaving students choosing to continue their studies in South Africa and abroad? Are our sports development facilities existent? If so, where are they, and why is our sport not improving on the international level Who were those involved in the drafting of this legislation last year, and were they thinking seriously? Was it a little late in the year and everybody’s mind was on the Christmas Holidays? How are such legislation and the new law to be passed in favour of the greater good of the Namibian people? Or are our politicians making decisions not taking into consideration the well being of the Namibian people? Are these people in these positions to secure the prosperity of our nation, or are they there to secure a future of mind boggling wealth for themselves and previous leaders of a regime in which not all went as well as they would have us believe? Angry Citizen Windhoek Note: Name and address provided – EdBut was it not during the first 15 years of our independence that this corruption was allowed to flourish? Let’s face it, those who are now being found guilty of acts of corruption, have not been involved in such acts since March of this year, no, it goes way back, back to an institution which turned a blind eye on such things.This was an institution led by a man who will now be officially known as the Founding Father of the Namibian Nation, a man still honoured by an outrageous pension of N$830 958 for this year (tax free), amounting to almost N$ 70 000 a month.Fair enough, Mr Nujoma was the first president of the Republic of Namibia, but aren’t we just going a little over the top? He is getting an overwhelming amount of money by way of the pension; furthermore, this pension is tax free for this financial year.I understand why it is tax free, the pension is paid for with taxpayers’ money, and it would be silly to tax the pension, because then the money would just be moving around in a circle i.e.from the taxpayer to the pension, and from the pension back to the taxes, however, the tax payer does not ever see any of that money again.Furthermore, the former president receives by law three cars, housing allowances, security personnel, drivers, two private secretaries, two personal attendants, two office attendants, three domestic staff, two cooks, two gardeners, two waiters, and two laundry people.That’s 17 people, not including the security staff and the drivers.I’d like you to read that again, just to completely grasp what exactly is being provided for the former president, by the State, with the taxpayer’s money.Am I the only one that thinks this is ridiculous? Are there not other just causes, which would benefit greatly, should this pension and other benefits be cut down to a realistic level and the leftover money given to those causes? Take for instance education and sport development.Are our tertiary institutions of an acceptable level? If so, then why are so many school-leaving students choosing to continue their studies in South Africa and abroad? Are our sports development facilities existent? If so, where are they, and why is our sport not improving on the international level Who were those involved in the drafting of this legislation last year, and were they thinking seriously? Was it a little late in the year and everybody’s mind was on the Christmas Holidays? How are such legislation and the new law to be passed in favour of the greater good of the Namibian people? Or are our politicians making decisions not taking into consideration the well being of the Namibian people? Are these people in these positions to secure the prosperity of our nation, or are they there to secure a future of mind boggling wealth for themselves and previous leaders of a regime in which not all went as well as they would have us believe? Angry Citizen Windhoek Note: Name and address provided – Ed