By: Justicia Shipena, Uakutura Kambaekua
The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) has called on the finance ministry to investigate the alleged discriminatory conduct of NamRa on China Town.
“If NamRa is protecting him/herself, then the superior must investigate to determine whether NamRa has done things correctly or not,” he said.
The youth league further called on NamRa to investigate the matter and do more public education on the issue.
“NamRa, please investigate the concern of the citizens when it comes to the issue of the counterfeit products, whether it is true that the burnt products are the same counterfeit products being sold at China Town,” said SPYL’s Khomas secretary.
According to SPYL’s Khomas regional leadership, NamRa’s decision proves that there is a discord between those deployed by the ruling party and the people at the grassroots level.
Deputy finance minister Maureen Hinda says she called the NamRa leadership to clarify what they had done when the public outcry rang out following the burning of N$5 million worth of counterfeit goods.
“Investigations in terms of verification of products, we did enquire from our side. If there is additional information that people come across and we need to verify, we are at the service of the people,” she said.
She added that it wouldn’t be fair to do a blanket investigation.
“It will be good to have a little bit of information on what exactly is not clear and what is a misrepresentation of what has happened.”
SPYL also called on the office of the Labour Commissioner to provide leadership in solving all labour injustices at workplaces.
“We demand that the minister of finance and labour minister ensure that every Namibian worker at China Town is paid decent wages,” said SPYL.
In a statement by the youth league, they also called on the urban and rural development minister to demand from the City of Windhoek a list of fitness certificates issued to companies operating in China Town.
“No one in this country is above the law, and the administration of law must not be based on selective morality and specific interest,” it read.
Meanwhile, the trade and industrialisation ministry condemned what it deemed an increasing trend of aggression towards some sections of the business sector, primarily foreign-owned entities.
In a recent statement, the ministry stated that the business environment is troubled with increasing challenges both pre-and post- the Covid-19 era.
“In addition, such intra-hostilities will ultimately erode overall business competitiveness, which will disable our country’s ability to trade effectively and efficiently within and across the borders. The MIT herewith denounce such increasing misunderstandings and humbly urge for the immediate dejection of such behaviour by all Namibians,” read the statement.
“The MIT will therefore implore the Namibian Nation to rather lend credence to such an approach as opposed to engaging ourselves in obscured and at times haphazard and stakeholder deficient approaches that may lead us all into a straitjacket of hardening feelings and heightened hostilities,” read the statement.
