Southern leaders feel left out

THE implementation of black economic empowerment (BEE) was criticised at State House last week during a meeting between President Hifikepunye Pohamba and a delegation of Nama traditional leaders.

Chief David Frederick, spokesperson for the Southern Traditional Leaders’ Group, charged that the South was generally excluded from BEE strategies despite the contributions its people made to the liberation struggle. “Many of us were inspired by the election manifesto, therefore we simply feel that the Government is indebted to us in terms of economic empowerment,” Frederick said.At a workshop held in March, Frederick said the Southern Traditional Leaders’ Group decided to lobby for the appointment of people from the South as board members, CEOs and shareholders of parastatals.They also feel, he said, that more people from the South could be appointed as ambassadors, and that they should be given preference in the filling of vacancies in the Karas Region.Another worry he shared with Pohamba was the group’s fear that the Nama language was dying out.This, he said, was because some teachers and officials in the office of the Education Director apparently do not allow students to qualify for bursaries unless they’ve studied their mother tongue right through to grade 12.Frederick further suggested to the President that traditional leaders should be more involved in Government’s efforts to curb HIV-AIDS.He said some traditional leaders were being accused of worsening the spread of the virus through the promotion of certain cultural practices.According to MP Ida Hoffman, who formed part of the delegation, Pohamba told them that he had ordered an investigation into complaints received from and about Keetmanshoop in 2006.”The President repeated his dissatisfaction with the grade 10 and 12 pass rates for 2006 and asked how we would be able to produce CEOs for the public and private sectors.He expressed dismay that children were not serious with education,” she said.”The president also warned that some attractive development projects fail because of a lack of administrative skills.He said that the MDs and CEOs buy expensive houses and cars,” she said.Regarding the group’s call for more money, Pohamba assured them that the allowances of traditional leaders were to be increased by 20 per cent from this month.”Many of us were inspired by the election manifesto, therefore we simply feel that the Government is indebted to us in terms of economic empowerment,” Frederick said.At a workshop held in March, Frederick said the Southern Traditional Leaders’ Group decided to lobby for the appointment of people from the South as board members, CEOs and shareholders of parastatals.They also feel, he said, that more people from the South could be appointed as ambassadors, and that they should be given preference in the filling of vacancies in the Karas Region.Another worry he shared with Pohamba was the group’s fear that the Nama language was dying out.This, he said, was because some teachers and officials in the office of the Education Director apparently do not allow students to qualify for bursaries unless they’ve studied their mother tongue right through to grade 12.Frederick further suggested to the President that traditional leaders should be more involved in Government’s efforts to curb HIV-AIDS.He said some traditional leaders were being accused of worsening the spread of the virus through the promotion of certain cultural practices.According to MP Ida Hoffman, who formed part of the delegation, Pohamba told them that he had ordered an investigation into complaints received from and about Keetmanshoop in 2006.”The President repeated his dissatisfaction with the grade 10 and 12 pass rates for 2006 and asked how we would be able to produce CEOs for the public and private sectors.He expressed dismay that children were not serious with education,” she said.”The president also warned that some attractive development projects fail because of a lack of administrative skills.He said that the MDs and CEOs buy expensive houses and cars,” she said.Regarding the group’s call for more money, Pohamba assured them that the allowances of traditional leaders were to be increased by 20 per cent from this month.