'Chinese presence an insult'
The UPM has come out guns blazing, questioning the presence of a Chinese delegation at the ongoing second national land conference.
The United People's Movement (UPM) has demanded that President Hage Geingob explain the presence of a Chinese delegation at the country's second national land conference, which ends tomorrow.
The opposition party also claimed that Geingob had not lifted a finger to convince disgruntled communities and pressure groups not to boycott the conference, but his government had instead invited the Chinese.
Responding to the president's keynote address at the opening of the conference on Monday, UPM parliamentarian Jan van Wyk said the attendance of the Chinese delegation is an insult to the Namibian nation.
“There was not even an official invitation extended to the Rehoboth Baster community, but the Chinese are invited. They shared their experiences at the conference. I asked the lands minister Utoni Nujoma last week what the reason was that the Baster people were not invited and he insulted me,” Van Wyk said.
He said it is laughable for the president and his Swapo-led government to blame apartheid or the country's colonial past for its failures.
“It is unfortunate that the president still fails to admit that 28 years down the line, only the Swapo elite have benefited, while the country's raw resources were exploited by the Chinese.
“The president has promised in several speeches that the landless people would get land. However, not a single local authority led by Swapo has succeeded in (keeping) these promises.
“Claims of affordable housing will remain a dream and will not become a priority, as the Swapo government cannot prove that it has delivered to the satisfaction of the landless masses,” Van Wyk said.
He also accused the government of misinforming the nation about the failure of the land redistribution process.
“The president is wrong in claiming that land redistribution has failed due to the willing-buyer, willing-seller programme.
“His claims the prices of commercial land (put up for sale) by white commercial farmers were inflated to such an extent that government could not afford to acquire such land for resettlement.
“Statistics are available to show that in fact government has sabotaged the willing-buyer, willing-seller programme through poor planning, under-budgeting, nepotism, favouritism and corruption,” Van Wyk added.
JEMIMA BEUKES
The opposition party also claimed that Geingob had not lifted a finger to convince disgruntled communities and pressure groups not to boycott the conference, but his government had instead invited the Chinese.
Responding to the president's keynote address at the opening of the conference on Monday, UPM parliamentarian Jan van Wyk said the attendance of the Chinese delegation is an insult to the Namibian nation.
“There was not even an official invitation extended to the Rehoboth Baster community, but the Chinese are invited. They shared their experiences at the conference. I asked the lands minister Utoni Nujoma last week what the reason was that the Baster people were not invited and he insulted me,” Van Wyk said.
He said it is laughable for the president and his Swapo-led government to blame apartheid or the country's colonial past for its failures.
“It is unfortunate that the president still fails to admit that 28 years down the line, only the Swapo elite have benefited, while the country's raw resources were exploited by the Chinese.
“The president has promised in several speeches that the landless people would get land. However, not a single local authority led by Swapo has succeeded in (keeping) these promises.
“Claims of affordable housing will remain a dream and will not become a priority, as the Swapo government cannot prove that it has delivered to the satisfaction of the landless masses,” Van Wyk said.
He also accused the government of misinforming the nation about the failure of the land redistribution process.
“The president is wrong in claiming that land redistribution has failed due to the willing-buyer, willing-seller programme.
“His claims the prices of commercial land (put up for sale) by white commercial farmers were inflated to such an extent that government could not afford to acquire such land for resettlement.
“Statistics are available to show that in fact government has sabotaged the willing-buyer, willing-seller programme through poor planning, under-budgeting, nepotism, favouritism and corruption,” Van Wyk added.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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