Muharukua rues Nujoma over Kunene remarks

WINDHOEK, 22 JUN – Popular Democratic Movement Parliamentarian, Vipuakuje Muharukua on Thursday expressed disappointment in references made about the people of the Kunene Region by Land Reform Minister, Utoni Nujoma in the National Assembly (NA) on Tuesday.
Nujoma had mentioned that people in that region will never sell their cattle, even if an abattoir facility is developed there, due to their “pride”.
“In areas like Kunene for example, people have more cattle, but you said misplacement or whatever? But the reality is that those people, we would like to see the animals, only to see them until the drought comes and then they die all of them. They will never sell, they don’t want to sell,” said Nujoma.
He continued: “The cattle are kept as a pride to the family, that you see hundreds of them moving. Even to buy sugar and bread is a problem, while you have so many cattle. That’s the question… is not an insult, it the reality.”
This was in response to a suggestion by Rally for Democracy and Progress Secretary General, Mike Kavekotora who said the Northern abattoir’s presence in the Oshana Region was a misplacement. He said such a facility ought to have been placed in Kunene, considering that the majority of cattle slaughtered in it were from that region.
Nujoma’s comments did not land well with Muharukua, who felt “insulted” and wanted them withdrawn. Failure by Nujoma to withdraw would mean that Muharukua will “never withdraw any statement in this house”.
Muharukua’s anger was further fuelled by the ruling of NA Speaker Peter Katjavivi, who on Thursday did not reprimand Nujoma for the remarks nor request him to withdraw.
“This does not refer to any particular community by name but to a geographical area. Therefore, it does not constitute a singled offensive remark to a particular community,” said Katjavivi.
The ruling, in Muhurukua’s eyes was unfair, biased and fear-based.
“Mr Nujoma insulted us. He called us stingy, that we have so many cattle and we would rather stay and die of hunger then sell. That’s why an abattoir can’t be built there. You cannot come here and say he is referring to a geographic area. Who farms there? It’s the Himbas,” he told Nampa when approached shortly after Parliament was abruptly adjourned.
He continued: “It is a trend now with Nujoma that he can continue to insult people with impunity. I will not sit down and watch while people are being insulted.”
On his part, Kavekotora wants the ruling revisited “as it was arrived at in isolation to the context in which Nujoma made the comments”.
However, Nujoma did not sit down and watch as he was being “insulted” by “puppets”.
“I spent all my youth fighting for this country while some of you were puppets. I cannot be insulted by puppets. The ruling has absolved me,” said Nujoma, adding that Kunene was not only inhabited by a single community.
“The Ovambos are there,” he said, adding that the comments he made about the region were directed to his uncle, who lives in Kunene.
(NAMPA)