Nujoma lists Govt achievements

PRESIDENT Sam Nujoma the statesman, and not Nujoma the political eliminator, was on display at a Swapo rally at Rundu in the Kavango Region town on Saturday.

Nujoma was the star speaker at a well-attended, standing-room-only rally at a sports field at Rundu on Saturday afternoon. He appeared to be in a pleasant mood, displaying his trademark smile to the crowd as he rallied them to support Swapo in the national elections set to take place next month.Nujoma held off on attacks on political challengers and enemies, while he listed the achievements that his party’s government had notched up in the more than 14 years that it has been in power.The party had fought a bitter and protracted liberation struggle to bring freedom to Namibia, and had since embarked on a second phase of struggle – a struggle for economic independence, Nujoma said.That second grand goal could only be achieved if Namibia had a skilled work force and learned to process locally-produced raw materials instead of exporting these elsewhere to be reworked, Nujoma told the crowd.He ticked off what his party’s government had done in the field of education since Independence.These included the establishment and expansion of educational institutions such as the University of Namibia and the Polytechnic of Namibia, and the substantial expansion of access to education in the first place.In the Kavango Region, Nujoma said, the Swapo government had built more than 1 500 classrooms, renovated another 600, and built three new secondary schools and over 150 houses for teachers.”The Swapo Party government is a government by the people, for the people.The people are our greatest assets,” he said.The Swapo government had also devoted its attention to the provision of health care to Namibians, Nujoma continued.One example he cited is that anti-retroviral treatment for people with HIV-AIDS was now available at four hospitals in the Kavango Region.This region had already seen the Trans-Caprivi Highway being built.Government’s current plans were to extend this highway westwards, as far as Cape Fria on Namibia’s northern coast, where Government was committed to building a new harbour, Nujoma stated.He appeared to be in a pleasant mood, displaying his trademark smile to the crowd as he rallied them to support Swapo in the national elections set to take place next month.Nujoma held off on attacks on political challengers and enemies, while he listed the achievements that his party’s government had notched up in the more than 14 years that it has been in power.The party had fought a bitter and protracted liberation struggle to bring freedom to Namibia, and had since embarked on a second phase of struggle – a struggle for economic independence, Nujoma said.That second grand goal could only be achieved if Namibia had a skilled work force and learned to process locally-produced raw materials instead of exporting these elsewhere to be reworked, Nujoma told the crowd.He ticked off what his party’s government had done in the field of education since Independence.These included the establishment and expansion of educational institutions such as the University of Namibia and the Polytechnic of Namibia, and the substantial expansion of access to education in the first place.In the Kavango Region, Nujoma said, the Swapo government had built more than 1 500 classrooms, renovated another 600, and built three new secondary schools and over 150 houses for teachers.”The Swapo Party government is a government by the people, for the people.The people are our greatest assets,” he said.The Swapo government had also devoted its attention to the provision of health care to Namibians, Nujoma continued.One example he cited is that anti-retroviral treatment for people with HIV-AIDS was now available at four hospitals in the Kavango Region.This region had already seen the Trans-Caprivi Highway being built.Government’s current plans were to extend this highway westwards, as far as Cape Fria on Namibia’s northern coast, where Government was committed to building a new harbour, Nujoma stated.