EDITORIAL: Keeping the promise
The never-ending stand-off between war veterans and the government regarding project funding needs to be addressed urgently so that a lasting solution can be crafted.
We are cognisant of the role played by those who contributed to the liberation of the country and the personal sacrifices they made; hence this matter should be of interest to all Namibians.
While there seems to be political will to keep its promise, government finds itself in the unenviable situation of not having the funds to fulfil its promise. Whether it’s a case of overpromising, that is a topic for another day.
The economic reality on the ground is that there is no money to fund these projects, which will cost taxpayers over N$2 billion, as per the latest official statistics.
There is an avalanche of social challenges suffocating the country, this ranges from poor healthcare, underfunded education, high unemployment and crime. Is there a meaningful way of balancing the needs of the war veterans and the needs of the rest of the country?
Government’s biggest fault in this saga is its failure to rehabilitate and empower war veterans right after independence, the fact that it took pressure groups to force government to recognise that it has an obligation towards the war veterans shows the disconnect between those in power and those wondering the streets.
Therefore, before this matter spirals out of control, government must find ways to deal with this matter.
We are cognisant of the role played by those who contributed to the liberation of the country and the personal sacrifices they made; hence this matter should be of interest to all Namibians.
While there seems to be political will to keep its promise, government finds itself in the unenviable situation of not having the funds to fulfil its promise. Whether it’s a case of overpromising, that is a topic for another day.
The economic reality on the ground is that there is no money to fund these projects, which will cost taxpayers over N$2 billion, as per the latest official statistics.
There is an avalanche of social challenges suffocating the country, this ranges from poor healthcare, underfunded education, high unemployment and crime. Is there a meaningful way of balancing the needs of the war veterans and the needs of the rest of the country?
Government’s biggest fault in this saga is its failure to rehabilitate and empower war veterans right after independence, the fact that it took pressure groups to force government to recognise that it has an obligation towards the war veterans shows the disconnect between those in power and those wondering the streets.
Therefore, before this matter spirals out of control, government must find ways to deal with this matter.
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Namibian Sun
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