Worried About Our Future

NAMIBIA, being a developing country, is receiving foreign aid to deal with issues such as drought, development projects and HIV-AIDS.

The last two issues, in my opinion, qualify for these amounts received from the foreign community. The big question is: why does Namibia get aid for drought relief although the economy has grown at an average of 4.4% for the past five years? What is happening to the people of Mariental is sickening (insurance industry, other stakeholders trying to wash their hands).The following figures in lost public monies could shed light on this question or at least give a bit of direction in trying to uncover this factor.N$30 million plus interest (Social Security Commission) Up to N$600 million plus interest (GIPF) N$100 million (Offshore Development Company) Other unknown amounts of public funds lost in the same manner.I do understand Government efforts to take the country to the next level (developed country) through Vision 2030.However, I do not understand the silence of Government on the almost one billion dollars already lost and still being lost today.Government has the responsibility to run its affairs in the interest and to the benefit of the public and not to the detriment of the public.Why has Government not published the results of the two commissions of enquiry? I do not know.Why is the public so quiet about the lost multi-millions? Do they not care about the amounts deducted in tax from their salaries or the 15% they pay in the form of VAT on almost every service or product they buy? Yet in times of need (like the Mariental disaster) Government pledges N$11 million for relief.After the 2000 flood in Mariental, I would have thought the people earning millions would have the brains to at least devise a plan to avoid the same thing happening again.Now they are trying to rid themselves of any guilt at the expense of the people.This must just stop.Had Government recovered the stolen public funds, we would not have had a problem dealing with Mariental at all.The lost funds were obviously directed into the private pockets of a few fat cats, and what is more encouraging for this trend is that Government is way too ignorant or lazy to bring the culprits to book.Stealing in any form is criminal, I do not see why it is not perceived so in this case.Why is it that a person who stole one head of cattle (not condoning cattle theft) gets a 30-year jail term and the ones that stole millions of dollars get off easily to enjoy the money that belongs to the people? I commend the current administration for doing all it can to get to the bottom of corruption.However, I have my reservations about the commitment, dedication and speed in dealing with this issue, especially now that we have organisations to deal with the issue.The fact is that the Sstate is paying more money to solve these crimes but we are not seeing results at all.I do understand Government giving business licences to big foreign-based (and South African) companies, but do these businesses really have Namibian interests at heart? I do not think so because these companies transfer millions of dollars to overseas accounts every month.Conventional wisdom tells us that any money generated in the country should stay in the country to benefit the citizens.What is the Government policy on this? The Namibian people need to change the way they think and act (lots of talk, zero action).We elect the Government and the Government works for the people and is answerable to the people.The only thing left for Government to do is to play open cards with the people and publicise the reports and investigations, because as shareholders of Government we have to see them.After all Government = The People.Disgusted WindhoekThe big question is: why does Namibia get aid for drought relief although the economy has grown at an average of 4.4% for the past five years? What is happening to the people of Mariental is sickening (insurance industry, other stakeholders trying to wash their hands).The following figures in lost public monies could shed light on this question or at least give a bit of direction in trying to uncover this factor.N$30 million plus interest (Social Security Commission) Up to N$600 million plus interest (GIPF) N$100 million (Offshore Development Company) Other unknown amounts of public funds lost in the same manner.I do understand Government efforts to take the country to the next level (developed country) through Vision 2030.However, I do not understand the silence of Government on the almost one billion dollars already lost and still being lost today.Government has the responsibility to run its affairs in the interest and to the benefit of the public and not to the detriment of the public.Why has Government not published the results of the two commissions of enquiry? I do not know.Why is the public so quiet about the lost multi-millions? Do they not care about the amounts deducted in tax from their salaries or the 15% they pay in the form of VAT on almost every service or product they buy? Yet in times of need (like the Mariental disaster) Government pledges N$11 million for relief.After the 2000 flood in Mariental, I would have thought the people earning millions would have the brains to at least devise a plan to avoid the same thing happening again.Now they are trying to rid themselves of any guilt at the expense of the people.This must just stop.Had Government recovered the stolen public funds, we would not have had a problem dealing with Mariental at all.The lost funds were obviously directed into the private pockets of a few fat cats, and what is more encouraging for this trend is that Government is way too ignorant or lazy to bring the culprits to book.Stealing in any form is criminal, I do not see why it is not perceived so in this case.Why is it that a person who stole one head of cattle (not condoning cattle theft) gets a 30-year jail term and the ones that stole millions of dollars get off easily to enjoy the money that belongs to the people? I commend the current administration for doing all it can to get to the bottom of corruption.However, I have my reservations about the commitment, dedication and speed in dealing with this issue, especially now that we have organisations to deal with the issue.The fact is that the Sstate is paying more money to solve these crimes but we are not seeing results at all.I do understand Government giving business licences to big foreign-based (and South African) companies, but do these businesses really have Namibian interests at heart? I do not think so because these companies transfer millions of dollars to overseas accounts every month.Conventional wisdom tells us that any money generated in the country should stay in the country to benefit the citizens.What is the Government policy on this? The Namibian people need to change the way they think and act (lots of talk, zero action).We elect the Government and the Government works for the people and is answerable to the people.The only thing left for Government to do is to play open cards with the people and publicise the reports and investigations, because as shareholders of Government we have to see them.After all Government = The People.Disgusted Windhoek