Swartbooi lays out 2018 plans
The leader of the Landless People's Movement (LPM), Bernadus Swartbooi, told Namibian Sun the “gloves will be coming off this year” as his movement and its supporters are poised to take on what he terms a “corrupt” government and “dictator-like” president.
The movement plans to establish an anti-corruption coalition as well as to push for free tertiary education.
Swartbooi said President Hage Geingob's recent refusal to entertain questions from the media on how much he made from selling his stake in the so-called N$1 billion township deal, which has been conditionally approved to establish a new upmarket village in the Klein Windhoek townlands, is unacceptable.
According to him, this refusal is testimony that Geingob “believes himself to be an emperor appointed by God” and is an attempt to “privatise the public space”.
“What if he makes his money illegally? That is exactly how dictators speak and it shows that he is hiding something.
“I can assure you many ministers will follow in his footsteps and say what they do is none of your business,” said Swartbooi.
He told Namibian Sun that he questions the motivation for Geingob to have defended Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director-general Paulus Noa as being unfairly targeted.
“It makes one wonder what kind of connection is there between the two of them,” he suggested.
Meanwhile, Swartbooi, who is a practising lawyer, said his movement plans to take government to court for cases such as the SME Bank saga.
“Many high-ranking officials were involved and they are held accountable, we cannot allow this.”
Free tertiary education
The former lands deputy minister insisted that pushing for free tertiary education for the first qualification is a very responsible proposition.
He rejected claims that the country may not afford it saying corruption is what has created the economic meltdown in Namibia.
“The unnecessary spending must stop. Other economies are growing so what happened here? If you fight corruption and manage your money properly then you will have money to pay for things such as education, healthcare and housing,” he said.
According to him government created “a massive problem” when it turned away the masses of grade 10 and 12 dropouts since 1990.
“And even those that pass cannot afford to continue because they do not have the money to study further. This is a growing problem and it frustrates people daily, “he said.
Working class
He is of the view that workers are exploited because of the political affiliation of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), which according to him hampers civil servants to be heard because they may “bite the hand that feeds them”.
“We are looking at launching a workers council that will address the plight of the Namibian worker,” he said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
The movement plans to establish an anti-corruption coalition as well as to push for free tertiary education.
Swartbooi said President Hage Geingob's recent refusal to entertain questions from the media on how much he made from selling his stake in the so-called N$1 billion township deal, which has been conditionally approved to establish a new upmarket village in the Klein Windhoek townlands, is unacceptable.
According to him, this refusal is testimony that Geingob “believes himself to be an emperor appointed by God” and is an attempt to “privatise the public space”.
“What if he makes his money illegally? That is exactly how dictators speak and it shows that he is hiding something.
“I can assure you many ministers will follow in his footsteps and say what they do is none of your business,” said Swartbooi.
He told Namibian Sun that he questions the motivation for Geingob to have defended Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director-general Paulus Noa as being unfairly targeted.
“It makes one wonder what kind of connection is there between the two of them,” he suggested.
Meanwhile, Swartbooi, who is a practising lawyer, said his movement plans to take government to court for cases such as the SME Bank saga.
“Many high-ranking officials were involved and they are held accountable, we cannot allow this.”
Free tertiary education
The former lands deputy minister insisted that pushing for free tertiary education for the first qualification is a very responsible proposition.
He rejected claims that the country may not afford it saying corruption is what has created the economic meltdown in Namibia.
“The unnecessary spending must stop. Other economies are growing so what happened here? If you fight corruption and manage your money properly then you will have money to pay for things such as education, healthcare and housing,” he said.
According to him government created “a massive problem” when it turned away the masses of grade 10 and 12 dropouts since 1990.
“And even those that pass cannot afford to continue because they do not have the money to study further. This is a growing problem and it frustrates people daily, “he said.
Working class
He is of the view that workers are exploited because of the political affiliation of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), which according to him hampers civil servants to be heard because they may “bite the hand that feeds them”.
“We are looking at launching a workers council that will address the plight of the Namibian worker,” he said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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