By: PRISCILLA MUKOKOBI
The PDM’s Youth League has called on Namibians to boycott the celebration of Independence Day. According to media reports, government has earmarked N$25 million.
According to the PDM youth league, acting secretary-general Yvette Araes, the N$25 million allocated for the Independence celebration is a stark contradiction considering the current state of the economy and prevailing realities of unemployment, poverty and homelessness that millions of Namibians face daily.
“Due to these dire prevailing conditions, there is no reason why Namibians should celebrate Independence. We repeat our stance made in 2020 that the Swapo government betrayed its mandate entrusted unto it by the Namibian electorate in every single election since 1990.
She added that in October 1989, at a Swapo rally in Okatana, the founding president of Namibia, Dr Sam Nuyoma, promised that there would be no poor person in independent Namibia under a Swapo led government. However, she argued, today, poverty is pervasive.
“Furthermore, promises by Sam Nuyoma on that day in Okatana have become a white elephant. It has been 32 years since the attainment of Independence, but the situation has not changed. People are still poor, and there are no jobs.”
“Namibia is the epitome of economic inequality, homeless, unemployment and a corrupt state-run by selfish and greedy politicians that do not have the public’s interest heart,” she said.
Areas stated that Swapo promised Namibians Jerusalem in 1989 but delivered Mogadishu instead.
According to reports, the government has put aside N$25 million for Independence Day celebrations this year. However, this has not yet been confirmed by the Prime Minister, Saara Kuugongelwa, under whose office the celebrations fall.
In 2021, government said it would set aside N$750,774.42.
In 2020 government had budgeted N$1 million for the commemorations, which did not go ahead as planned due to the pandemic outbreak.
Namibians will celebrate the 32nd Independence Day on 21 March.
SPYL secretary for education, Hofni Iipinge, said, “We need 4479 classrooms countrywide for the betterment of our children. We can’t use 25 million for celebrations. That’s bad news to me.”
