BIG congratulates Netumbo, but urges her to uphold campaign promises

Ahead of the November presidential and National Assembly elections, promises and lofty ambitions dominated campaign rhetoric – a strategy some analysts said was designed to secure voter support.Now that the elections are over, activists and ordinary Namibians are stepping forward to hold these parties accountable, particularly Swapo, reminding them of the commitments they made on the campaign trail.One such organisation is the Basic Income Grant Coalition (BIG) of Namibia.In a statement issued on Thursday, the coalition applauded President-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on her win, not her historic achievement as "Namibia’s first and Africa’s second female president."BIG then called on the ruling party to uphold its promise of uplifting Namibians, as articulated in the party&#039;s manifesto."We took note of her promise of economic justice and freedom for all Namibians, as articulated during her campaign."The coalition urged the incoming administration “to honour the pledges made toward economic freedom and justice.”It added “In alignment with these promises, we strongly re-emphasise the need for implementing a universal basic Income grant (UBIG) of at least N$500 for all Namibians aged 0-59.”Government pledged supportBIG further highlighted that a consultative meeting took place in September with poverty eradication minister Doreen Sioka, prompted by nationwide marches advocating for a universal basic income grant.Sioka, the group said in their statement, “pledged her ministry&#039;s support for this cause, as well as the involvement of other key ministries... in recognition of the significant impact that a universal (rather than conditional) basic income grant will have on the most vulnerable populations and Namibia’s overall socio-economic development.”During her campaign, Netumbo also promised to allocate a budget of approximately N$85.7 billion over five years to projects that would create mass employment opportunities for unemployed graduates.“Together, we can make significant strides in reducing poverty and income inequality, fostering Namibia’s economic prosperity and a society where every individual can succeed," she said at the time. Universal supportBIG emphasised that it “firmly believes that an inclusive, redistributive universal BIG is significantly more efficient and essential for achieving true economic freedom and justice. Conditional grants, while beneficial for a selected few, often fail to reach those in greatest need due to their restrictive nature and are administratively lengthy and expensive, as evident in the case of the newly implemented conditional BIG.”On the other hand, the coalition said, “A universal/unconditional approach ensures that every Namibian, regardless of circumstance, receives the support necessary to thrive. These benefits are backed up by reliable data from national and international pilot projects, studies and research.”

BIG congratulates Netumbo, but urges her to uphold campaign promises

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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BIG congratulates Netumbo, but urges her to uphold campaign promises

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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