By Elezo Libanda
Katima Mulilo, 10 August – Martin Lukato, President of the NDP party, has decried the meager N$3000 budget allocation to Gibeon village, labeling it as heartless. In a recent Facebook post, Lukato criticized the government’s purported lack of seriousness in addressing issues like unemployment and poor living standards. He asserted that residents of Gibeon are seemingly being penalized due to their political affiliations.
Lukato vehemently condemned the decision made by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. His reaction was prompted by a surge of discussions on social media, where many questioned the rationale behind the allocation. Some even went so far as to describe the allocation as a joke and a mockery of the entire Namibian nation.
In defense of its decision, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development stated that allocations are not determined by political affiliations, but rather by past performance. The ministry explained that the allocation was based on prior experiences, as Gibeon village council had reportedly struggled to effectively utilize previously allocated funds.
Despite assertions from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development that fund allocations are needs-based, the perception persists that the N$3000 allocation falls woefully short in terms of effectively developing a village council. The Gibeon village council, which falls under the Landless People’s Movement, has raised concerns that the allocation might be a form of political punishment for their particular political preferences. -Namibia Daily News
