By: Ludorf Iyambo
The residents of Samora Machel in Katutura demonstrated against their Swapo councillor, accusing him of favouritism and tribalism.
The residents gathered at the office of councillor Nestor Kalola demanding food bank services or money instead.
The residents said that the council is tribalist and that only one ethnic group benefited from the food bank and grants that all disadvantaged people are supposed to receive.
“When we registered, we were 643 people, but out of that, I counted only 20 Herero and Mbanderu. Ninety-five per cent of beneficiaries are Oshiwambo speaking people and the family of the current councillor. We, the other tribes, are also suffering, but we are not getting anything,” stated one resident.
The residents claim they have a list of potential beneficiaries registered in 2020 and submitted it to the World Food Program management.
“The new document that came out now, we don’t know where it came from, which is our concern now,” complained the residents.
The residents are complaining that as of 2020, there was an offer of N$600 from the World Food Program to vulnerable people, but supposedly, only 20% of registered people are receiving that amount.
The residents are also saying that the same people receiving food parcels are still the same people who are getting N$600.
“If I take you to the beneficiaries of the food bank, we Herero, Mbanderu and Damaras were removed out of the benefit.”
They claim that of the beneficiaries receiving items from the food bank, 30% are from other tribes while 70% are Oshiwambo people.
“The current council doesn’t count us, other tribes. Maybe we should go to Katutura central or Damara location and leave this location to the Vambu tribe,” said another aggrieved resident.
According to Samora Machel councillor Nestor Kalola, his office and the World Food Program cooperated and collaborated to help the people in need.
Kalola said the community leaders went down to the communities, registered the disadvantaged people, and brought the names to the staff members of the World Food Program to register the residents in the system.
“The World Food Program, after assessing, see who qualified. They print the names out and submit them to my office. The name in the list is the name of the qualified people to get the money, out of the verification from the office of the World Food Program,” stated the council.
The councillor further said that whatever criteria determine the qualifications to get the money is out of his hands. “It’s done by those people, they are the ones who are giving them money, and it’s their responsibility.”
