Fishing rights allocations an insult – Mbangu
“The mantra of the Namibian House where no one should feel left out seems to be a myth,” the councillor said.
13 April 2021 | Local News
Kenya Kambowe
RUNDU
Rundu Rural constituency councillor Paulus Mbangu has described the recently announced fishing right allocations to the two Kavango regions as an insult, saying that there is no justification for why the poorest regions got almost nothing from the cake.
Mbangu made the remarks last Friday on Namibian Sun’s Evening Review programme. Fisheries minister Albert Kawana recently announced that companies awarded fishing rights from Kavango East and Kavango West represent 0.6% and 0.4% of the total allocations respectively.
Mbangu argued that government is failing these regions.
“When the results were announced, my take is that it was a very big insult to the two Kavango regions,” he said.
“You see, national data and census statistics indicate very clearly that the two Kavango regions are the poorest in Namibia, followed by Kunene, and poverty requires specific strategies to reverse and turn the situation around.
Ignoring facts
He said there is a trend from government to ignore these facts.
“There seems to be no suggested strategies by government to address the pain of the poorest regions in the short or long run. Economic opportunities such as the allocation of fishing quotas are even allocated to people in affluent regions,” Mbangu said.
When asked how residents in the two Kavango regions feel with regards to the low allocation of fishing rights, the councillor said people - especially in Rundu and Nkurenkuru - are not happy at all.
He said the patriotic notion that no Namibian should feel left out is not valid, adding that the two Kavango regions continue to be marginalised.
“The mantra of the Namibian House where no one should feel left out seems to be a myth,” Mbangu said.
“It seems the two regions are continuously marginalised and excluded. The poorest regions were given the least and it cannot be fair and there is no justification to this.”
While some argue that the reason why only a few companies from the two Kavango regions were awarded quotas was because only few applied, Mbangu said this was not the case.
He is adamant that people applied but were just not considered.
[email protected]
RUNDU
Rundu Rural constituency councillor Paulus Mbangu has described the recently announced fishing right allocations to the two Kavango regions as an insult, saying that there is no justification for why the poorest regions got almost nothing from the cake.
Mbangu made the remarks last Friday on Namibian Sun’s Evening Review programme. Fisheries minister Albert Kawana recently announced that companies awarded fishing rights from Kavango East and Kavango West represent 0.6% and 0.4% of the total allocations respectively.
Mbangu argued that government is failing these regions.
“When the results were announced, my take is that it was a very big insult to the two Kavango regions,” he said.
“You see, national data and census statistics indicate very clearly that the two Kavango regions are the poorest in Namibia, followed by Kunene, and poverty requires specific strategies to reverse and turn the situation around.
Ignoring facts
He said there is a trend from government to ignore these facts.
“There seems to be no suggested strategies by government to address the pain of the poorest regions in the short or long run. Economic opportunities such as the allocation of fishing quotas are even allocated to people in affluent regions,” Mbangu said.
When asked how residents in the two Kavango regions feel with regards to the low allocation of fishing rights, the councillor said people - especially in Rundu and Nkurenkuru - are not happy at all.
He said the patriotic notion that no Namibian should feel left out is not valid, adding that the two Kavango regions continue to be marginalised.
“The mantra of the Namibian House where no one should feel left out seems to be a myth,” Mbangu said.
“It seems the two regions are continuously marginalised and excluded. The poorest regions were given the least and it cannot be fair and there is no justification to this.”
While some argue that the reason why only a few companies from the two Kavango regions were awarded quotas was because only few applied, Mbangu said this was not the case.
He is adamant that people applied but were just not considered.
[email protected]
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