EDITORIAL: We don’t want another GIPF situation

Many Namibian businesspeople are incensed by the ministry of agriculture’s stipulation that those wishing to develop the Tandjieskoppie, Zone and Katima-Liselo irrigation projects demonstrate access to N$650 million in cash or other assets. According to gossipmongers, ‘the game is already rigged’ in favour of wealthy people, with the ministry supposedly targeting white people. This outlandish idea is based only on the fact that the ministry’s political head is white. In 1995, GIPF introduced the controversial Development Capital Portfolio (DCP) scheme, under which public funds were distributed without sufficient collateral. Its guiding premise, like that of the irrigation projects, was to offer development finance to Namibian firms with potential for growth and development impact. In the end, DCP proved to be a scheme for comrades who merely needed to demonstrate their commitment to the ruling party as a guarantee to access a collective N$660 million. The same folks who are now publicly voicing their criticism of the stringent conditions for irrigation projects were the ones who spearheaded the battle against the way GIPF doled out DCP loans like Christmas candy. Food security, unlike street football, is not a toy. We cannot play with people’s livelihoods, especially in a country that is a net importer of many food products and suffers from a severe lack of rain. Those who are unable to satisfy the present standards must look for other options. They are not the centre of the universe.