Swanu spells out its ideas

ADDRESSING a press conference at Outapi in the Omusati Region last Wednesday, Swanu President Usutuaije Maamberua outlined what his party would do if elected to power.

He had a different objective for every month of the next two years.They included a substantial increase in old-age pensions, the establishment of a disaster fund, merging some ministries to streamline the civil service, and ‘paying attention’ to the Caprivi treason trial accused, who have been in jail for 10 years while the trial drags on.Other promises are to return cattle confiscated in a protected area to their owners in the Gam area, and to declare ‘Swapo’s policy of jobs for comrades null and void and unpatriotic, divisive and retrogressive’.A Swanu government would form a team to negotiate on genocide reparations with the German government, would decommission Air Namibia and redeploy its staff, and introduce agricultural production subsidies.It would reduce defence spending drastically and re-allocate the funding to schools.Swanu would also establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a Youth Job Seeking Assistance and Unemployment Fund and vocational training centres in every region, Maamberua said.By July 2011, Swanu would introduce a ‘socialised’ health system so that all Namibians have access to medical aid, and in the next month it would abolish tuition fees at all tertiary education institutions. Other plans are to abolish the regional electricity distributors and to make NamWater part of Government to reduce water tariffs for the poor, a minimum wage for all sectors, and the introduction of a basic income grant (BIG). Maamberua said more milestones would follow during the last three years of his presidency if he was elected.’Namibians should note my dedication and devotion to serving them in their best interests. Mine are serious tangible programmes and activities that are intended to demonstrate Swanu’s commitment to the advancement of the Namibian people,’ Maamberua said.