Swapo presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has dangled lofty promises of building 10 000 houses annually and creating 256 000 jobs if voters give her the keys to state house.
She was speaking at Swapo’s manifesto launch in Windhoek over the weekend.
Analysts have, however, described Swapo’s promises as unrealistic, highlighting that Swapo has not managed to achieve these goals over 34 years.
Nandi-Ndaitwah committed to strengthening the National Housing Enterprise’s (NHE).
“… to cater for a broader range of income groups, including streamlining of application processes that ensure eligibility criteria.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah said 10 000 plots will be serviced annually for the construction of low and medium-cost houses, through strengthening the Build Together Programme and supporting the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN).
In terms of the country’s water situation, Swapo’s manifesto notes that the party will “exploit the full potential of the Neckartal Dam”.
The second phase of the Neckartal irrigation project cost N$2,4 billion, while the first amounted to N$5,6 billion in 2018.
Swapo said it will accelerate the construction of a desalination plant at the cost of N$3,5 billion.
Nandi-Ndaitwah called for well thought out strategies to bring back the national airline.
She also promised to encourage the establishment of new factories, manufacturing plants and companies for job creation.
Swapo noted plans to increase the number of National Youth Service recruits into the Namibian Defence Force, Namibian Police and Namibia Correctional Service.
The ruling party plans to allocate N$85,7 billion over five years to facilitate the creation of 256 000 jobs to priority
projects to create mass employment opportunities and absorb unemployed graduates and other Namibians looking for jobs, notes the manifesto.
The jobs are projected to be in housing and sanitation (about 60 000), agriculture (about 52 000), youth empowerment, including support for an apprenticeship programme (52 000), education, art and creative industries (about 32 800), in the health sector and in sports development (30 147).
The party also plans to give N$500 million per year to the National Youth Fund.
EDUCATION
Swapo further plans to upgrade and renovate school infrastructure by building additional special schools, classrooms, toilets, laboratories, hostels and sport facilities in areas with urgent needs.
On tertiary education financing, Swapo wants to “critically review the operations of the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), to enhance service delivery and increase funding for postgraduate students, including provision for students with special needs”.
HEALTH
Swapo aims to provide adequate health infrastructure and facilities across the country through developing a special vehicle for procurement to address the shortage of medications, consumables and equipment in the health sector, noted the manifesto.
UNREALISTIC
Unionist Mahongora Kavihuha yesterday told The Namibian Swapo’s manifesto has no tangible commitment.
He highlighted that the open-ended language used avoids any commitment by Swapo.
“No tangible action [by which] anyone can hold the ruling party accountable … except doing what they are doing in using ‘promote, encourage’, which are not action words.”
He says he was expecting the manifesto to address matters of social protections, the scientific identification of the types of jobs to be created and matters of structural economic reform.
Kavihuha further describes Swapo’s plan to reform NSFAF as “pathetic”.
Economist Rowland Brown yesterday said Swapo’s manifesto lacks any practical plans and repeats failed old ideas.
“Including picking sectoral winners, reviving the unnecessary failed airline, benefaction, special economic zones and similar.”
Brown asserts that it remains a government-centric plan.
Social activist Shaun Gariseb yesterday said Swapo’s plan to improve the SDFN and Build Together models is disappointing because 99% of people involved in these programmes want to do away with it.
“Shack is a depressing concept. It must be erased, not improved and replaced. Isn’t it Swapo that said they’ll erase all the shacks five years ago?”
DETACHED
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah says the manifesto is detached from the reality on the ground.
“That is a drop in the ocean. It’s not even something to boast about. It’s not something we can be proud of.”
Political analyst Erika Thomas yesterday questioned what measures will be taken to ensure Swapo is held accountable.
“There is a desire among electors not to be used merely as voting cows but rather to be consulted and informed about the decisions made by the authorities.
“People don’t consume roads or ports. They need food.”
Thomas argued that a clear-cut, effective governance system that produces tangible results is necessary.
“Politician’s rhetoric has become tiresome to the electorate. Water is essential to life and the ruling party has failed to provide it to the people,” she said.
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