LPM accuses Rundu council of failing vulnerable residents

Landless People's Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi says Rundu’s town council has adopted a capitalist approach by destroying the shacks of vulnerable residents without any compensation paid to the victims of these actions.

Swartbooi made these remarks during a recent visit to the town. According to him, land remains a socio-economic factor affecting social mobility of people, and Rundu is no exception.

“We find this practice to be inhumane, unlawful and a means to destroy the social fabric of society. Land is an important social and economic aspect of life. It is the main means of production. It is the central umbilical cord with citizenship, and denying or depriving citizens of legitimate access and ownership is an unacceptable act,” he said.

Failure to serve

Swartbooi said LPM vehemently condemns the actions of the town council, claiming that their actions are tantamount to keeping the inhabitants of Rundu in abject poverty.

He made reference to an elderly woman whose house was demolished and whose land was sold without her consent and knowledge.

“Rundu town council must return the land to the old aunty or settle her on new and comparable land to the previous land she owned. We will pursue this matter," he said.

Needs neglected

Swartbooi said, considering the town's growing population rates, "there is urgency in the central government to invest greater and sustained amounts of money into the development of this beautiful town."

Swartbooi added that land, especially serviced land, is scarce.

“The informal settlements are gigantic in this town. Thus, urgent and massive electrification [is needed in] informal settlements so that people’s livelihoods can improve by starting their own small businesses, as well as helping children to study under electric light rather than the candle,” he said.

He added: “We would also like to implore the Rundu town council to avail land to the San community in Rundu. We have been reliably informed by our alliance partner, the Rundu Urban Community Association (RUCA), that the San community in Rundu do not have land [and] are being treated as second-class citizens in Rundu,” he said.

Education

Swartbooi also accused government of turning a blind eye to schools in the Kavango East Region.

“A case in point is the former John Mutorwa School in Tumweneni, that was founded by unemployment teachers but was closed due to its economic status," he said.

"This school catered for 270 learners who were then relocated to Siguruguru Combined School, but due to the limited capacity of this school to absorb these learners, they remain with no teacher since January but are subjected to attending school every day.”

“This is very shameful for a region with a high rate of qualified and capable teachers, but we are failing to absorb them to provide an education to these learners. These actions are clear efforts to destroy and degenerate the academic lives of these learners."

He said a head of department post at the Kavango East education directorate remains vacant, as does the vacancy for a principal at Sarusungu Combined School in Kaisosi.

"Despite posts being advertised and people going for interviews, no appointments were made to this effect; again, this is a clear indication of degenerating the education system,” Swartbooi said.

[email protected]