Double-cabs for chiefs

GOVERNMENT is to buy 45 brand new double-cab bakkies for recognised traditional authorities during this financial year.
The announcement is the latest in a string of generous bonanzas since December last year.

The Minister of Local Government, Jerry Ekandjo, announced last week that in the 2009-2010 financial year his ministry will budget for the purchase of 45 double-cab bakkies for traditional authorities countrywide. There are 45 recognised traditional authorities in the country.According to Ekandjo, the petrol bill for these vehicles will be footed from Government coffers.He added that budgetary provision will also be made to raise the monthly allowances for traditional leaders.Government’s generosity started with a 24 per cent increase for political office bearers, excluding regional councillors, followed by a fast-tracked 14 per cent salary increase for civil servants, coupled with improved benefits.This sudden Government spending spree has been criticised in some circles, especially taking into account the global financial crisis. It is seen by some as Government buying favour with the electorate ahead of the general and presidential elections scheduled at the end of the year.Last week it was reported in the media that Government plans to replace the current presidential jet with a new Falcon 7X at a price tag of N$600 million. The first down payment of N$130 429000 for the new acquisition was already made last year. Ekandjo made the announcement about the double-cabs during a meeting with traditional leaders in the Karas Region at Keetmanshoop last week. The Local Government Minister said Cabinet had recently approved the implementation of Traditional Courts, adding that the Traditional Courts Bill would soon be tabled in the Parliament. Ekandjo also pledged that he would attend to the strife over the chieftainship issue of the Berseba traditional leaders as a matter of urgency. Currently, the Berseba community has two traditional chiefs. One represents the Berseba Isaaks faction, while the other one is for the Goliath faction. Because of the longstanding strife over the chieftainship, Government recognises none of the Berseba chiefs. Community members feel that the squabble over the chieftainship is hampering development at Berseba and surrounding areas. Many of the traditional leaders who attended the meeting with Ekandjo expressed concern over the ‘measly’ allowances they receive from Government. They claimed that they cannot make ends meet.All of them welcomed the latest Government gesture of giving them four-wheel-drive vehicles to serve their respective communities. luqman@namibian.com.na