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Dr. Abisai Shejavali
I have observed with keen interest the many progressive developments that we, as a nation, have achieved since our independence from oppression in 1990 and of course, I have expressed my
The purpose of writing this open letter is to initiate a national dialogue exploring possible amendments to the Namibian Constitution that may include the addition and / or the withdrawal of certain provisions. I am of the opinion that such amendments would make the supreme law even more conducive to the development of Namibia and the well-being of its people.
I am specifically addressing this letter because I am aware that such a dialogue would be better managed. by your distinguished responsibilities as representative of the National Assembly, its powers, functions and dignity inside and outside the House.
I have some ideas that I would like to propose that could be refined applicable parliamentary processes:
1. It is undeniable that sections of our society across many forums and media have complained of maladministration ministers. poor performance on their scorecards, corruption, nepotism, personal enrichment and betrayal of true patriotism.
I am of the opinion that this is due to the fact that certain provisions of the constitution were written to prescribe the
We are seeing cases such as the most recent reshuffle, where the President himself has raised concerns about allegations of corruption against some members of his cabinet, but he kept the defendants responsible for the ministries. In this regard, I believe that the parliament, through the necessary processes, should seize the opportunity to amend the constitution in order to allow the president of the state to appoint ministers from beyond from the parliamentary cohort
technocrats and professionals who would be selected on the basis of their expertise, report directly to the president state In practice, the president would act as the appointing authority, but before his appointment, the candidate would be subject to appropriate control and approval of the parliamentary committees. 19659003] 2. Continuing the process of thinking above, I have observed inconsistencies in the fulfillment of the spirit of "Separation of Powers" between the executive and the legislature.
The (executive) ministers are at the same time deputies (legislature). If ministers are supposed to be accountable to parliament, but are themselves members of parliament, does that mean in essence that they are accountable to them? Does not this disagree with the concept of accountability, since the executive and the legislature are supposed to be separated?
In the current state of affairs, Parliament is in conflict and sometimes overthrown when it convenes ministers. In this proposal, Parliament would be able to act independently to ensure the delivery of services because it would have the power to monitor and evaluate performance and, at any time, to call a minister to respond. key questions about your portfolio. . I also see a problem with the current composition of the parliament. The members of our country's parliament do not adequately represent the people in the country.
They simply represent the parties on whose list they serve. People do not have much to say about the topics that concern them. In this regard, the constitution needs to be revised so that our government can follow a more representative system that allows for the prospects at the grassroots level. In addition, the concept of decentralization aimed at strengthening decision-making power beyond the central government has been largely ignored, even though it is enshrined in the constitution.
I would also like to appeal to Parliament to seriously examine the state of our national health care and to explore laws that could be enacted, leading to national health systems such as those introduced in the United Kingdom in 1948, in Sweden (1955), Iceland (1956), Norway (1956), Denmark (1961) and Finland (1964), which provides health care and financial protection to all citizens. Currently, we have a system in which quality health care is highly privatized and only benefits those who can afford medical help. Medical help is expensive! What I have also seen and experienced, is that once we retire and that we have no more work, this helps medical disappear. What happens next to all the amounts spent on medical aid during most of his professional life? Amounts that in many cases have not even been spent as such and his family were generally in good health, except for the occasional visit to the general practitioner to treat minor ailments such as influenza and the cold or at the dentist, The result is that the poor and the old continue to be disadvantaged.
As discussed above, this system needs to be revamped so that a larger pool of medical resources and quality professionals will reach all Namibians from all walks of life. [19659003] 5. Next is our natural resources. It may interest you that in May 1974, even the United Nations General Assembly
reaffirmed: "The full permanent sovereignty of each State over its natural resources and all its economic activities. In order to preserve these resources, each State has the right to exercise effective control over them and their exploitation with means appropriate to their situation, including the right to nationalization or the transfer of ownership to its nationals, that right. being the expression sovereignty of the state. No State may be subjected to economic, political or other coercion to prevent the free and full exercise of this inalienable source. "Despite the fact that Namibia is rich in resources, the majority of our people continue to live in poverty, and our wealth of fish, gold, uranium, copper, diamonds, etc. are shipped by foreign companies. to enrich their foreign countries, leaving our people in terrible poverty, "New Era reported on April 18 that" Namibian exports of precious minerals generated N $ 23 billion in 2017/18. "
For how many of time this painful situation of taking our raw minerals in Western and Eastern countries will continue – I do not understand that! Parliament must do something to enact laws that deal with this issue so that people communities such as Otjimbingwe, Karibib, Usakos, Okombahe, Khorixas, Omaruru, etc., which are close to these resources and the whole nation, are not excluded. understandably that investors, both local and foreign, should get returns on their investments. However, the parliament must evaluate these arrangements taking into account resolutions 3201 and 3202 (S-VI) mentioned above. These resolutions provide Namibia with a valid base from which to negotiate for the protection of its natural resources in order to better serve its citizens.
Yes, some of our citizens are employed in these sectors, but at the mercy of wealthy multinationals. companies. In general, these jobs are not as safe, so employees may lose their jobs due to layoffs and other factors. And multinationals do little to reinvest and enrich the lives of their Namibian employees.
In my opinion, mining licenses and agreements should require foreign entities to share their expertise with the Namibian people.
Namibians must be trained in the management of mines and fishing industries, skills and expertise should be shared. be invested in the implementation of sustainable projects for local communities.
Namibia, for how long? How long will my country have to feed foreigners while leaving its own children starving and dying of malnutrition and poverty? How long will your rulers stay asleep, while strangers steal your wealth? Leaders, please, wake up!
6. Our constitution is praised around the world as a shiny piece of paper. But, in fact, with regard to previously disadvantaged people, it is only mediocre, if even that! It is especially pro-nantis, and against the poor, which discredits the achievements of the struggle for the independence and freedom of our country. It needs to be reviewed in order to respond to the plight of previously disadvantaged people. They should and should be treated differently to acquire land or parcels in urban areas.
Serious attention should be paid to the voices of young activists such as Mr. Job Amupanda and Mr. Bernadus Swartbooi. Their call raises awareness of the cry of the poor and the landless, these voices should not be ignored.
If parliament does not stand up to eradicate poverty by adopting harsh laws against discrimination, self-enrichment, inequality of land ownership, etc., the majority of this country will continue to suffer in extreme poverty. In addition to making these laws, the implementation of the laws is of crucial importance.
Why do the rich get richer and richer, while those who are not richer become poorer? In Namibia today, we hear about those who own large amounts of arable land on thousands of hectares, while in the same Namibia we have landless peasants. This unhealthy and sinful situation should not be allowed to continue. We must not become too comfortable with this unprocessed and unjust situation.
The government must change the attitudes of paying high salaries to government officials, while grassroots people suffer from poverty and go to bed hungry
. The question of traditional authorities in the constitution must also be reconsidered. I consider the creation and establishment of traditional authorities as a mere continuation of the former homelands of the apartheid regime. The apartheid regime created homelands for Namibian blacks on the basis of their ethnicity, so that they could not unite and become a powerful entity with which the government of that country day should count. The system has also created hatred between ethnic groups, reinforcing tribal lines. Our current government, by legislating the continued existence of traditional authorities, is preparing and consolidating tribalism, thus creating puppets and weakening the principle of "One Namibia, One Nation". This does not mean that the preservation of the culture does not matter. However, traditional authorities should exist organically, rather than being supported by the government in a way that keeps the Namibians divided. The existence of these authorities as government entities requires serious investigation and debate, with a result that aims to create a nation and to suppress things that do not contribute to national unity and to the building of the nation.
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