Swapo's track record speaks for itself - Netumbo

Swapo vice-president and presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has strongly refuted criticism that the ruling party has done nothing for the country since independence.Addressing a rally in Rundu on Saturday, Nandi-Ndaitwah argued that Swapo has been the driving force behind the nation’s growth and development.She stressed that Swapo would never betray the trust of Namibians who believe in its manifesto and vision for the future.“The past 34 years have brought significant progress. Our detractors may claim that nothing has changed since independence, but as a party and government, we acknowledge that not everything is perfect," she said."We are aware of the challenges we face, particularly unemployment, which disproportionately affects our youth and contributes to poverty in our communities. However, the infrastructure and programmes we have implemented are designed to tackle unemployment and eradicate poverty,” she added.Education a primary focusThe presidential candidate highlighted the importance of education as a cornerstone of Swapo’s policies, describing it as “the great equaliser and enabler.”“That’s why, since 1990, we have heavily invested in education. Today, 90% of Namibians are literate and 98% of Namibian children have access to education."Educational facilities have been established across the country, she said. "Out of 14 047 educational facilities recorded in 2022, 181 are in Kavango East, including 36 combined schools, 125 primary schools, 11 secondary schools, one special school, a university, and seven vocational centres. Anyone claiming our government neglects regions like Kavango East is lying. Our children are attending these schools."Working planThe Swapo vice-president also pointed to the growth of early childhood development centres within primary schools, noting that these are often run by individuals with government support.She said Swapo is committed to accelerating the integration of pre-primary education into the country&#039;s schooling system, while continuing to build new schools."As I pledged during my time as minister of women’s affairs and child welfare, I committed to integrating pre-primary education before leaving the ministry – today, we have grade zero in our schools. I make promises I can fulfil. The Swapo election manifesto is not just a document; it is a working plan for implementation."Health of NamibiansNandi-Ndaitwah also took the opportunity to highlight progress in healthcare, referring to a visit to Rundu hospital earlier that morning.“I was reassured to hear we now have the specialists needed and have received the necessary equipment, though more is still required. The challenge remains to expand the infrastructure to give these specialists adequate space to operate."She said the Kavango East caters to 40 health facilities, up from 32 in 2016."These facilities include 36 clinics, one health centre, two district hospitals and one referral hospital. We must strengthen our referral hospital by ensuring it has the needed staffing and infrastructure. A healthy nation is a productive nation, and we cannot compromise on the health of our people," she said.She noted that Swapo’s election manifesto focuses on mental health initiatives and the expansion of healthcare facilities, including the upgrading of clinics to health centres.“Additionally, we are committed to improving social grants for the elderly, orphans, vulnerable children, people with disabilities and veterans. We have also introduced a targeted basic income grant to support those in need who are not currently covered by other grants,” she added.nikanor@erongo.com.na#NamibiaDecides2024

Swapo's track record speaks for itself - Netumbo

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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Swapo's track record speaks for itself - Netumbo

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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