Job won’t budge

The 16 June protest march against the new parliament’s construction will continue. This is according to Job Amupanda after a marathon meeting with Nampol Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga.
According to Amupanda, his Affirmative Repositioning Movement (AR) hopes to convince the police to “agree” with them.
“They are still in their meetings as we speak,” he said late yesterday evening. “They still do not want the march to continue, but we hope to convince them otherwise, because we will march,” he told Namibian Sun.
This follows a directive by Ndeitunga that no public demonstrations may take place between 13 and 18 June.
Amupanda had instructed his legal counsel, Khadila Amoomo, that should the Namibian Police not retract their ban on public demonstrations, they would turn to the High Court.
This has not worked out well for Nampol in the past. On 18 August 2010, Judge Nate Ndauendapo ruled as unconstitutional a ban on public demonstrations imposed by Ndeitunga on 12 August of that year.
The information ministry, however, addressed the media on the matter of the new parliament yesterday, where Minister Tjekero Tweya bashed journalists, again, for “misinforming” the nation with lies.
“My disappointment is with you so-called Namibian journalists who are not patriotic,” he said before criticising the media for “jumping the gun” with the cost estimate of the new parliament building.
Tweya further condemned the media for not informing the public that the construction would be done in phases and was budgeted for several financial years, and therefore was not a one-off cost.
According to him, it is currently in the design phase. Government will then budget for the actual construction accordingly.
On a question whether the government was going to continue with the feasibility study, Tweya said, “You must spend time and money to plan.” This stage is to cost N$12 million.
He was at pains to explain that the building is not for parliamentarians only, but will be a “government asset”.
According to him, Namibians also opposed the construction of Heroes’ Acre and the Supreme Court but are now proud of these structures. “It is the same with the parliament - it is not the private project of Professor Peter Katjavivi.”


In the meanwhile, the education ministry yesterday said its directive that pupils be kept busy between 08:00 and13:00 on the Day of the African Child on 16 June remains in force.
“The directive issued to commemorate the day is based on the fact that learning also takes place in informal settings, with the aim to sensitise, enlighten and instil a sense of pride amongst learners,” said permanent secretary Sanet Steenkamp.
The Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu) this week demanded that government retract the directive issued on Monday, because the teachers were not consulted about the sudden change of plans. The day is traditionally a school holiday.
This is despite an outcry by teachers that this is a deliberate move to keep them from taking part in the 16 June march against the proposed new parliament building.
Early in April this year Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda announced that more than 5 000 young people are expected to gather at the parliament gardens on 16 June to submit a petition to National Assembly Speaker Peter Katjavivi, calling on the government to halt plans to build a new N$2.2 billion parliament.
Young Namibian professionals such as teachers who expressed dissatisfaction with their salaries have pledged overwhelming support for the upcoming march.

Political pressure

Meanwhile Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) has called upon President Hage Geingob to show leadership and halt plans to build the new parliament.
In a statement yesterday RDP president Jeremiah Nambinga expressed his dissatisfaction with the new parliament, adding that it is not a priority and urging the president to “listen to the poor Namibians’ cries”.
He said there are more pressing issues facing the nation currently such as the drought, the water crisis, food insecurity, the housing crisis and unemployment.
“As we speak, animals are dying due to shortage of grazing and lack of water in the Erongo, Kunene, part of Oshana and Omusati regions. The new parliament cannot be compared to the above-mentioned calamities and as such must be stopped,” he said.
Nambinga also said that the country is under pressure to provide sanitation, education infrastructure and various other services.
“The president needs to address himself to these issues that are negatively impacting on the current lives and the future of the Namibian citizens,” he urged.
Last month President Geingob announced that Cabinet had directed Vice-President Nickey Iyambo, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, National Assembly Speaker Peter Katjavivi and National Council chairperson Margaret Mensah-Williams to explain how the estimated cost of the new parliament building had ballooned to N$2.4 billion.
In February Geingob called upon parliamentarians to debate the need for a new parliament. He said his hands were tied and he could not interfere with decisions taken by the Legislature.
JEMIMA BEUKES