Lawmakers bemoan critical poverty levels in Namibia
Restore dignity by tackling poverty, lawmakers say
Landless People's Movement's (LPM's) Harold Kambrude argues that while a basic income grant will not resolve the issue of poverty, it could offer a vital lifeline and help lift Namibians out of poverty.
Otjozondjupa regional councillor Bethuel Tjaveondja has warned that poverty in Namibia has reached a critical point, highlighting that some mothers have resorted to sending their daughters to visit men in exchange for a meal.
The Swapo councillor said Namibia's poverty levels require leaders to put aside their political ideas and ideologies and take hands to uplift Namibians while speaking at the National Council yesterday.
“Really, the challenges – as members’ coming from the ground, we are witnessing them on a daily basis. Sometimes, when we go to dumping sites, you see how people are hustling. As a nation with a population that we have, I don’t buy that we ought to ask anything from the outside to assist us. This we can do," he said.
He warned that some people drink homemade alcohol with "maize meal put in because people just need to put something in the stomach."
Tjaveondja said should a basic income grant (BIG) be implemented, there is a need for proper control mechanisms if a basic income grant (BIG) is introduced to prevent third parties from exploiting it.
BIG can uplift
Landless People's Movement (LPM) member Harold Kambrude said on Tuesday that the only way to declare war on poverty is to resurrect BIG and the food bank.
He said a life that is not marked by begging for food is a dignified life, and he urged government to restore the dignity of Namibians by implementing the grant. He said this should be accompanied by a further push for industrialisation.
“Our country has been long suffering from things like the dumping of generational farm workers, where people work on a farm and have their children on the farms, and they don’t make provision for themselves in the towns they come from. This results in a situation where people are without homes and suffering,” he said.
He emphasised that a BIG is not a panacea to poverty, but it can effectively serve as a springboard to lift Namibians out of poverty.
“I believe that when we effectively address this, it will definitely give our people hope. When I walk through my constituency, I am saddened by the despondency – being downtrodden is expressed so clearly on their faces. I don’t think in a country with our resources that we need that,” he said.
The Swapo councillor said Namibia's poverty levels require leaders to put aside their political ideas and ideologies and take hands to uplift Namibians while speaking at the National Council yesterday.
“Really, the challenges – as members’ coming from the ground, we are witnessing them on a daily basis. Sometimes, when we go to dumping sites, you see how people are hustling. As a nation with a population that we have, I don’t buy that we ought to ask anything from the outside to assist us. This we can do," he said.
He warned that some people drink homemade alcohol with "maize meal put in because people just need to put something in the stomach."
Tjaveondja said should a basic income grant (BIG) be implemented, there is a need for proper control mechanisms if a basic income grant (BIG) is introduced to prevent third parties from exploiting it.
BIG can uplift
Landless People's Movement (LPM) member Harold Kambrude said on Tuesday that the only way to declare war on poverty is to resurrect BIG and the food bank.
He said a life that is not marked by begging for food is a dignified life, and he urged government to restore the dignity of Namibians by implementing the grant. He said this should be accompanied by a further push for industrialisation.
“Our country has been long suffering from things like the dumping of generational farm workers, where people work on a farm and have their children on the farms, and they don’t make provision for themselves in the towns they come from. This results in a situation where people are without homes and suffering,” he said.
He emphasised that a BIG is not a panacea to poverty, but it can effectively serve as a springboard to lift Namibians out of poverty.
“I believe that when we effectively address this, it will definitely give our people hope. When I walk through my constituency, I am saddened by the despondency – being downtrodden is expressed so clearly on their faces. I don’t think in a country with our resources that we need that,” he said.
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