By: Frans Sinengela
Swapo Youth League secretary Efraim Nekongo says President Hage Geingob can demand that projects be implemented, but nothing can be done without capital.
Nekongo’s comments came after Geingob demanded more from ministers on implementation during the Cabinet retreat held over the past weekend.
Nekongo said many government projects are left undone due to a lack of finances.
“Yes, the President can demand a 100% execution because he is a leader and has to hold us accountable to all the promises we made to the electorate, as per our Swapo party manifesto, but where there is no capital, projects will go undone,” he said in Nekongo further pointed out that there are some ministers with tendencies of ignoring requests from the youth league to meet them to discuss issues pertaining development and improving the livelihood of the masses.
“We have been trying to talk to the agriculture minister, but he has ignored us. At the same time, we are the very people on the ground running around during campaigns, persuading the masses to vote for the government.”
He further said that when it comes to issues about the development and improving the livelihood of the masses who elected the party, the youth league is ignored by some ministers.
“Now, how do we go back to the people, and what do we say to them?” he noted with concern.
“We need to meet the needs of our people, provide access to clean water, and come up with interventions that can at least create employment for our people. We need to urge those responsible for bringing in investors who can come and create job opportunities and employment for our people.”
Furthermore, Nekongo is disheartened by the fate of green schemes that are dying and laments the under-funding of the agriculture ministry, which, according to him, is the engine that should propel the country’s economic growth.
He further revealed that his team is busy studying the budget and will soon develop a proper recommendation to the finance minister concerning what they wish to see done in the mid-term budget review.
Nekongo further blames cabinet ministers for, what he calls, an “untimely” handover of green schemes to the private sector.
He said the decision has proven to be unfruitful.
“We have abandoned green schemes, and then we spent a lot of money buying that farming equipment, and now they will rust, and by the time we restart these green schemes, we will spend more money again, buying new equipment,” he said.
PDM leader McHenry Veaani last month paid a visit to the green schemes in the Kavango regions, which he said were left neglected and dormant.
When approached for comment, agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein told The Villager that his office met the Swapo youth league representatives last year.
“We discussed the fate of the green schemes, and the meeting was supposed to continue later for further engagements but could not meet again due to other commitments.”
“I don’t know where that is coming from. We have never refused meeting the youth league.”
On the dying green schemes, Schlettwein said only the green schemes under Agribusdev are performing poorly.
“Musese and Mashare are doing well.”
