PM Responds To Critique

IN response to a letter published in The Namibian newspaper of Friday, May 14 2004 in which Maria Bernhard requested clarity from the Right Honourable Prime Minister, on alleged shady practices during the PM’s visit to the Caprivi region, the PM would like to respond as follows:

Both drought and food relief efforts of the government are planned and coordinated from the office of the PM (OPM). Because of the administrative mechanisms and delivery services capacity that the OPM has put in place, local regional and international partners who are rendering valuable contributions in these rescue and life saving efforts maintain contacts with the Emergency Management Unit in the OPM and assistance channelled through the Regional Management Units, supervised by the Governors of all 13 regions.From time to time, the President or the Prime Minister visits the problem areas across the country in order to ensure people of government’s commitment to help them and at the same time to assess the impact of the social service delivery operations on the ground.In this context it is no secret that both the President of the country and the Prime Minister are leaders in the Swapo party which has governed the country since Independence in 1990.The Swapo party was elected and continiues to be re-elected at all levels of the government by the overwhelming majority of Namibians to govern the country on the bases of election manifestos that are well known by everybody at home and abroad.In this particular case about which Maria Benhard complains however, the Prime Ministers assessment mission to the flood affected areas of the Caprivi Region had nothing to do with electioneering or so-called pre-election vote-rigging as alleged by well known unscrupulous elements.The Prime Minister’s entire speech there was recorded by the NBC TV and reviewed in its proper context there can be no misunderstanding.Nobody from the Caprivi region complained at all.The passing remark about voting for the Swapo party was a general thing and a non-issue for the people at the temporary camps visited.In any case the Kabbe constituency where the meeting took place is already a Swapo stronghold.Maria Benhard should therefore devote her time to reading and studying and avoid being misled by failed aspirants for public recognition.Caroline Sitongo Deputy Director: Communications Office of the Prime Minister WindhoekBecause of the administrative mechanisms and delivery services capacity that the OPM has put in place, local regional and international partners who are rendering valuable contributions in these rescue and life saving efforts maintain contacts with the Emergency Management Unit in the OPM and assistance channelled through the Regional Management Units, supervised by the Governors of all 13 regions.From time to time, the President or the Prime Minister visits the problem areas across the country in order to ensure people of government’s commitment to help them and at the same time to assess the impact of the social service delivery operations on the ground.In this context it is no secret that both the President of the country and the Prime Minister are leaders in the Swapo party which has governed the country since Independence in 1990.The Swapo party was elected and continiues to be re-elected at all levels of the government by the overwhelming majority of Namibians to govern the country on the bases of election manifestos that are well known by everybody at home and abroad.In this particular case about which Maria Benhard complains however, the Prime Ministers assessment mission to the flood affected areas of the Caprivi Region had nothing to do with electioneering or so-called pre-election vote-rigging as alleged by well known unscrupulous elements.The Prime Minister’s entire speech there was recorded by the NBC TV and reviewed in its proper context there can be no misunderstanding.Nobody from the Caprivi region complained at all.The passing remark about voting for the Swapo party was a general thing and a non-issue for the people at the temporary camps visited.In any case the Kabbe constituency where the meeting took place is already a Swapo stronghold.Maria Benhard should therefore devote her time to reading and studying and avoid being misled by failed aspirants for public recognition.Caroline Sitongo Deputy Director: Communications Office of the Prime Minister Windhoek