Government must do its share
That Namibia is a developing country is a fact – we all know it and we are all aware of the challenges our country faces. It is all over the news media and all over social media pages too. We know that our children are struggling with quality education and infrastructure. We are aware that there is a need for far more food banks across the country as people are going to bed hungry. We know that medical care has its own set of challenges and that there is a chronic and very dangerous shortage of advanced life care support paramedics available to State patients. We know this.
We know that the older hospitals inherited from South Africa are falling apart. There is no linen and barely any food, let alone seat covers on the toilets or beds for patients.
We know that communities have no fresh water in many parts of our country and we also know that in these places there is a shortage of everything – including clinics and schools.
We know that there is a very high accident rate on our roads mainly because of errant and undisciplined drivers, most of whom speed and many of them, drunk. Often, however, crashes occur because of livestock grazing on the road reserves.
Explain to us why the private sector is called on to jump in and help the State? Organisations are using the Katutura hospital as a team-building event – painting wards, hanging curtains and donating to the patients. One sees the same thing at government old-age homes.
Namagri has launched a Whatsapp service, along with police reservists and other volunteers to follow up when livestock is seen grazing on road reserves. Tags are to be photographed and sent via Whatsapp and they will deal with the rest.
Where are our authorities? This is not yesterday's problem? This has been ongoing for decades. The hospitals did not fall apart in 2016. They fell apart due to lack of maintenance. The president is quick to remind us of the Namibian House. And solidarity tax. But where are our other taxes going? To the S&T and luxury hotels for yet another trip to the US?
We know that the older hospitals inherited from South Africa are falling apart. There is no linen and barely any food, let alone seat covers on the toilets or beds for patients.
We know that communities have no fresh water in many parts of our country and we also know that in these places there is a shortage of everything – including clinics and schools.
We know that there is a very high accident rate on our roads mainly because of errant and undisciplined drivers, most of whom speed and many of them, drunk. Often, however, crashes occur because of livestock grazing on the road reserves.
Explain to us why the private sector is called on to jump in and help the State? Organisations are using the Katutura hospital as a team-building event – painting wards, hanging curtains and donating to the patients. One sees the same thing at government old-age homes.
Namagri has launched a Whatsapp service, along with police reservists and other volunteers to follow up when livestock is seen grazing on road reserves. Tags are to be photographed and sent via Whatsapp and they will deal with the rest.
Where are our authorities? This is not yesterday's problem? This has been ongoing for decades. The hospitals did not fall apart in 2016. They fell apart due to lack of maintenance. The president is quick to remind us of the Namibian House. And solidarity tax. But where are our other taxes going? To the S&T and luxury hotels for yet another trip to the US?
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Namibian Sun
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