What Has Swapo Done?

ALLOW me a space in your newspaper. As a concerned citizen, I wound like to express my views about the message of the former president, Sam Nujoma, as published in The Namibian of July 30 2007.

Nujoma was quoted saying that, “all Namibians should support the ruling party Swapo so that it can always win elections, as it is the only political organisation that can improve the living standard of all Namibians”. Since when has Swapo “improved the living standard of Namibian people”? We are sick and tired of listening to Nujoma’s empty promises.I am always thinking that if it was not Swapo ruling under Nujoma then our country could not look like this.Let me start with water, the basic need, which people cannot survive without.Namibian citizens are crying all over the country because water has become an unaffordable basic commodity.If I remember well, during colonial times we were not having such problem when we compare it to what’s happening now.Swapo has failed on this one.The second is food: the Swapo-led government is accused of giving rotten drought food to some citizens.The minority groups like the San and Himba are suffering under Swapo-led government, they have nothing to eat, to cover themselves and no proper education.Is that the improvement of living standard of our people? Third, let us look at schools, in Namibia under Swapo government there is a “song” that says “Education for all”, which I do not want to hear anymore.The children of the poor are not allowed to repeat grade 10 or 12 if they happen to fail.Now the streets are just full of young people who have failed the said grades.The education system is just becoming worse in Namibia.Pupils are failing and there are no proper feeding programmes in secondary school.It is interesting to note that the top government officials take their kids to private schools.You hardly find a child for the minister attending school at a government school, unless he/she is a stepchild.Why? They are supposed to improve the education standard to be the same like as private schools.I was also waiting for the government schools to be better than the private schools in an independent Namibia.Fourth we must look at the State hospitals and clinics, one can just say this is not Namibia, as the world knows.There is a lack of proper medication, no proper treatment, let me just say there is no improvement in government’s health sector in Namibia for 17 years.It has just become worse.People are crying because of the deterioration of health in Namibia but the Swapo government is just quiet because those who have the responsibility of improving the health standard do not get their services from Government hospitals.They have a lot of money, that is why they are treated at private hospitals.They do not care.Unemployment under Swapo-led government in Namibia is very high.People are crying that they do not have jobs.Crime rate under Swapo-led government is just increasing.You cannot walk freely in this country.Abuse, misuse and mismanagement of government properties are very high in this country.Government officials are just fighting for power and enriching themselves.They just know how to “eat” citizens’ money so that they become rich and open the accounts outside the country.They are building a new State House for hundred of millions so that they can stay in a luxury mansion while people are suffering.They are only told “the government does not have money”.Our leaders must tell us what they do have money for.Now they want us to vote for Swapo so that they can keep their bread on table while we are suffering.This is a democratic country.We cannot be told things like “vote only for Swapo”.Swapo party started with its empty promises again since independence.We do not want to hear anything of such nature from them.We have suffered a lot for 17 years.The Swapo President wants to say they have improved the country with the railway line to the north where they are just sucking the poor citizens’ blood by forcing them to “volunteer.”They are not paid anything while there is a tender for such railway line.The leaders just want to put the money into their own pockets through S & T and shares, for nothing.We are not stupid.There is a time when we will be tired and that time is now.We are now very tired of this “Swapo government”.We have the eyes to see what is happening.We have the ears to hear what is being promised.The Swapo-led government did nothing to improve the living standard of citizens in this country.We are sick and tired! Concerned Citizen Via e-mail Note: Name and address provided – EdSince when has Swapo “improved the living standard of Namibian people”? We are sick and tired of listening to Nujoma’s empty promises.I am always thinking that if it was not Swapo ruling under Nujoma then our country could not look like this.Let me start with water, the basic need, which people cannot survive without.Namibian citizens are crying all over the country because water has become an unaffordable basic commodity.If I remember well, during colonial times we were not having such problem when we compare it to what’s happening now.Swapo has failed on this one. The second is food: the Swapo-led government is accused of giving rotten drought food to some citizens.The minority groups like the San and Himba are suffering under Swapo-led government, they have nothing to eat, to cover themselves and no proper education.Is that the improvement of living standard of our people? Third, let us look at schools, in Namibia under Swapo government there is a “song” that says “Education for all”, which I do not want to hear anymore.The children of the poor are not allowed to repeat grade 10 or 12 if they happen to fail.Now the streets are just full of young people who have failed the said grades.The education system is just becoming worse in Namibia.Pupils are failing and there are no proper feeding programmes in secondary school.It is interesting to note that the top government officials take their kids to private schools.You hardly find a child for the minister attending school at a government school, unless he/she is a stepchild.Why? They are supposed to improve the education standard to be the same like as private schools.I was also waiting for the government schools to be better than the private schools in an independent Namibia. Fourth we must look at the State hospitals and clinics, one can just say this is not Namibia, as the world knows.There is a lack of proper medication, no proper treatment, let me just say there is no improvement in government’s health sector in Namibia for 17 years.It has just become worse.People are crying because of the deterioration of health in Namibia but the Swapo government is just quiet because those who have the responsibility of improving the health standard do not get their services from Government hospitals.They have a lot of money, that is why they are treated at private hospitals.They do not care. Unemployment under Swapo-led government in Namibia is very high.People are crying that they do not have jobs.Crime rate under Swapo-led government is just increasing.You cannot walk freely in this country.Abuse, misuse and mismanagement of government properties are very high in this country.Government officials are just fighting for power and enriching themselves.They just know how to “eat” citizens’ money so that they become rich and open the accounts outside the country.They are building a new State House for hundred of millions so that they can stay in a luxury mansion while people are suffering.They are only told “the government does not have money”.Our leaders must tell us what they do have money for.Now they want us to vote for Swapo so that they can keep their bread on table while we are suffering.This is a democratic country.We cannot be told things like “vote only for Swapo”.Swapo party started with its empty promises again since independence.We do not want to hear anything of such nature from them.We have suffered a lot for 17 years.The Swapo President wants to say they have improved the country with the railway line to the north where they are just sucking the poor citizens’ blood by forcing them to “volunteer.”They are not paid anything while there is a tender for such railway line.The leaders just want to put the money into their own pockets through S & T and shares, for nothing.We are not stupid.There is a time when we will be tired and that time is now.We are now very tired of this “Swapo government”.We have the eyes to see what is happening.We have the ears to hear what is being promised.The Swapo-led government did nothing to improve the living standard of citizens in this country.We are sick and tired! Concerned Citizen Via e-mail Note: Name and address provided – Ed