Budget an election ploy - Swartbooi

Landless People's Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi has criticised the recently tabled national budget, describing it as "an election budget" meant to garner votes during the upcoming elections.

Swartbooi made the remarks at a recent press conference in Rundu.

“This election budget is not a serious budget that protects the stability of the country's finances. It’s not a budget that enhances the stability of the nation's financial system. It's an opportunistic budget meant to garner votes to keep Swapo in power to further plunder the resources of this country,” Swartbooi said.

Not responsive

He said the budget is “unsustainable and unrealistic. It will keep this country further indebted and the financial system of this country is not going to be protected. The late Hage Geingob, may his soul rest in peace, came in and stabilised the finances of this country. He closed the gaps that existed where so many tenders were given, so many loans were taken from other countries and money was spent on ‘tenderpreneurs’ who ended up buying Mercedes Benz's and BMWs that were so expensive,” he added.

He said national budgets should respond to a country's socioeconomic status and needs.

"However, for the past years, there have been discrepancies in the allocation of monies to the national budget. Rundu, despite its growing population, has been receiving the lowest share of the budget compared to less densely populated areas. This is an injustice and a deliberate attempt to impoverish the people of Rundu."

Election ploys

The LPM leader asked: "What have the people done to deserve this type of treatment? I wonder, even after getting this type of treatment, whether people will still go run after Swapo and vote for them because there is drought relief or if there are promises that there will be more money put here or more money put there because the budget that we have seen this year is nothing else but an election ploy for 10 months. They are pretending that they can solve every problem for us. Thirty years of problems."

He said promises of a youth development fund, a youth enterprise development fund, an accelerated public works programme among other strategies have now been made.

“Everything they're telling us, they will solve it now. With what money, where? All they tell us is that the money is there and that they have the money.”

Pending elections

Swartbooi claimed the LPM frequently visits various parts of the country to discern the needs on the ground, and not only ahead of elections.

“When we travel to places like Rundu, as we do every second month or so travelling to other parts of the country as well, we raise the issues because they are more important than elections."

He said government is making false promises ahead of the elections.

“This is the nonsense of a five-year political set-up where people are starved for four years from development, and in the fifth year, pending elections, we now have to be told that so much will be done that paradise will come down from heaven and be located in Rundu and everywhere."

Address needs urgently

Swartbooi said it is unacceptable that the central government starves the Rundu town council of resources necessary to meet the needs of the people.

“We, therefore, demand that central government make sure to allocate a sufficient budget allocation over a sustained period of at least five to 10 years deliberately to sort out the town’s water, sewer system and road challenges.

“We also call on and demand that the central government make money available for the urgent electrification of all informal settlements in Rundu. There have been so many informal settlements built by our people since Swapo failed to do so. Right now, most of those houses are without electricity. Electricity is a fundamental right, and such services must be brought to our people as quickly as possible,” he said.

“Our people's lives, in terms of health and general living conditions, are just deteriorating,” Swartbooi said.

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