Geingob recommits to economic freedom fight
President Hage Geingob on Sunday said, he understands that without socio-economic justice, liberty will be fleeting.
NDAMA NAKASHOLE
As the head of state, President Hage Geingob said he remains cognizant of the fact that the country is now engaged the fight for economic freedom and justice.
The struggle for a better country will continue until it is won, Geingob said at Nkurenkuru during the official commemoration of Heroes Day on Sunday.
“Government will pursue all possible means to deal with income disparities, high unemployment and the existence of pockets of extreme poverty,” he said.
Geingob said that they can only truly honour the heroes and heroines if they commit the wealth of the country.
“For our liberty and freedom to become meaningful, we have to restore the dignity of the majority. Restoration can only come about through the correction of historical injustices. If we don’t correct the wrongs of the past through appropriate policies and actions, our peace will not be sustainable. I invite each and every one of you to be part of the journey. No one should feel left out,” he said.
Inequality
Geingob further said that they are still trying to get justice in all its manifestations – equality of opportunity, fairness and access to a better life for each and every Namibian.
As it is now, Namibia remains one of the most unequal countries in the world. According to the latest Namibia Housing Income and Expenditure (NHIES) results released this year, the Gini coefficient for Namibia, a measure of income inequality reduced from 0.58 in 2009/2010 NHIES to 0.56 (or 56%) in 2015/2016, an indication of slight progress in reducing inequality in Namibia. The NDP5 Gini coefficient progressive target by the year 2022 is set at 0.50 (or 50%).
“But we all know that we have made good progress over the past 28 years. Poverty rates have decreased; infrastructure has been expanded; the monthly pension grant for the elderly, which reaches 90% of beneficiaries has been increased by more than 60% in the last 3 years to reach N$1200. Many schools have been constructed across the country. We are now going to rollout a large project to refurbish school infrastructure across the country. It is dishonest to say that nothing has been done,” Geingob bragged.
Moving forward
As the country tries to deal with the remaining challenges, Namibia should approach the issues of poverty, landlessness and genocide with clear minds and with urgency, the head of state said.
“For as long as we have Namibians who are poor, who have no access to the means of production, who have not received satisfactory compensation for past atrocities committed against them, we will not be able to pay a fitting tribute to those who perished in defence of Namibia and its people,” he said.
Geingob further called for difficult conversations, as Namibians, with the aim of finding peaceful and sustainable solutions to the challenges of inequality, landlessness and outstanding pains of genocide.
“As we try to find solutions to what I have mentioned, we should not succumb to cynicism and behave as if government is not doing anything. We are doing our best and if we hold hands we shall achieve our objectives. We should not succumb to those who seek to divide us at every turn and opportunity. They will fail.”
Land conference
During the same occasion, Geingob announced that the land conference will take place from 1-5 October this year. It will happen in a transparent and inclusive manner, he said.
According to him, government is opening up these difficult policy conversations for inclusivity purposes.
During his first State of the Nation Address in 2015, Geingob announced that a second land conference would be organised. It was done with the intention of creating a platform at which the willing-seller, willing-buyer principle, ancestral land claims for restitution, expropriation in public interest with just compensation, urban land reform and resettlement criteria, as well as the Veterinary Cordon Fence can be thoroughly interrogated and discussed.
As the head of state, President Hage Geingob said he remains cognizant of the fact that the country is now engaged the fight for economic freedom and justice.
The struggle for a better country will continue until it is won, Geingob said at Nkurenkuru during the official commemoration of Heroes Day on Sunday.
“Government will pursue all possible means to deal with income disparities, high unemployment and the existence of pockets of extreme poverty,” he said.
Geingob said that they can only truly honour the heroes and heroines if they commit the wealth of the country.
“For our liberty and freedom to become meaningful, we have to restore the dignity of the majority. Restoration can only come about through the correction of historical injustices. If we don’t correct the wrongs of the past through appropriate policies and actions, our peace will not be sustainable. I invite each and every one of you to be part of the journey. No one should feel left out,” he said.
Inequality
Geingob further said that they are still trying to get justice in all its manifestations – equality of opportunity, fairness and access to a better life for each and every Namibian.
As it is now, Namibia remains one of the most unequal countries in the world. According to the latest Namibia Housing Income and Expenditure (NHIES) results released this year, the Gini coefficient for Namibia, a measure of income inequality reduced from 0.58 in 2009/2010 NHIES to 0.56 (or 56%) in 2015/2016, an indication of slight progress in reducing inequality in Namibia. The NDP5 Gini coefficient progressive target by the year 2022 is set at 0.50 (or 50%).
“But we all know that we have made good progress over the past 28 years. Poverty rates have decreased; infrastructure has been expanded; the monthly pension grant for the elderly, which reaches 90% of beneficiaries has been increased by more than 60% in the last 3 years to reach N$1200. Many schools have been constructed across the country. We are now going to rollout a large project to refurbish school infrastructure across the country. It is dishonest to say that nothing has been done,” Geingob bragged.
Moving forward
As the country tries to deal with the remaining challenges, Namibia should approach the issues of poverty, landlessness and genocide with clear minds and with urgency, the head of state said.
“For as long as we have Namibians who are poor, who have no access to the means of production, who have not received satisfactory compensation for past atrocities committed against them, we will not be able to pay a fitting tribute to those who perished in defence of Namibia and its people,” he said.
Geingob further called for difficult conversations, as Namibians, with the aim of finding peaceful and sustainable solutions to the challenges of inequality, landlessness and outstanding pains of genocide.
“As we try to find solutions to what I have mentioned, we should not succumb to cynicism and behave as if government is not doing anything. We are doing our best and if we hold hands we shall achieve our objectives. We should not succumb to those who seek to divide us at every turn and opportunity. They will fail.”
Land conference
During the same occasion, Geingob announced that the land conference will take place from 1-5 October this year. It will happen in a transparent and inclusive manner, he said.
According to him, government is opening up these difficult policy conversations for inclusivity purposes.
During his first State of the Nation Address in 2015, Geingob announced that a second land conference would be organised. It was done with the intention of creating a platform at which the willing-seller, willing-buyer principle, ancestral land claims for restitution, expropriation in public interest with just compensation, urban land reform and resettlement criteria, as well as the Veterinary Cordon Fence can be thoroughly interrogated and discussed.
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