Exclusion claims in the spotlight
President Hage Geingob yesterday hit back at his detractors who have over the years accused his administration of allegedly side-lining the people from the two Kavango regions.
A spokesperson for a pressure group yesterday renewed its claim that people from Kavango were still excluded from top government positions. The call was made during the presidential town hall meeting at Nkurenkuru in Kavango West.
“The Namibian state is founded upon the principles of democracy, the rule of law and justice. Despite these principles, the majority of people from the Kavango West Region, like some other regions, are on the basis of evidence deliberately excluded and thus underrepresented in political, economic, and employment opportunities in Namibia. Anyone who can dispute this can look at representation in parliament, cabinet, senior position in government,” Paulus Hamutenya from the Muzokumwe Volunteers Association (MVA) put it to Geingob yesterday.
A seemingly unimpressed Geingob shot back, saying he was aware of such claims that were being circulated on social media.
He also questioned the struggle credentials of those making such claims.
“Those who are saying it were not in the struggle. I doubt that, because those who were in the struggle don't talk like that,” Geingob said.
A couple of months ago, acclaimed academic and renowned political analyst, Professor Joseph Diescho, whose fallout with Geingob is well documented, also claimed the people of Kavango were merely being used as 'voting cows' buy the ruling elite.
Geingob condemned this notion of people using their constitutional right to vote as a means to persuade his government to address issues.
“Let me make something clear. Voting is your right. It's not mercenary to give me your vote; that is a vote I don't need. If the vote is given because you want to get something in return, that is mercenary. You vote out of commitment. But a vote to get things is not how it works.”
KENYA KAMBOWE
A spokesperson for a pressure group yesterday renewed its claim that people from Kavango were still excluded from top government positions. The call was made during the presidential town hall meeting at Nkurenkuru in Kavango West.
“The Namibian state is founded upon the principles of democracy, the rule of law and justice. Despite these principles, the majority of people from the Kavango West Region, like some other regions, are on the basis of evidence deliberately excluded and thus underrepresented in political, economic, and employment opportunities in Namibia. Anyone who can dispute this can look at representation in parliament, cabinet, senior position in government,” Paulus Hamutenya from the Muzokumwe Volunteers Association (MVA) put it to Geingob yesterday.
A seemingly unimpressed Geingob shot back, saying he was aware of such claims that were being circulated on social media.
He also questioned the struggle credentials of those making such claims.
“Those who are saying it were not in the struggle. I doubt that, because those who were in the struggle don't talk like that,” Geingob said.
A couple of months ago, acclaimed academic and renowned political analyst, Professor Joseph Diescho, whose fallout with Geingob is well documented, also claimed the people of Kavango were merely being used as 'voting cows' buy the ruling elite.
Geingob condemned this notion of people using their constitutional right to vote as a means to persuade his government to address issues.
“Let me make something clear. Voting is your right. It's not mercenary to give me your vote; that is a vote I don't need. If the vote is given because you want to get something in return, that is mercenary. You vote out of commitment. But a vote to get things is not how it works.”
KENYA KAMBOWE
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