Maamberua wants forensic audit into resettlement programme

WINDHOEK, 29 OCT – Swanu Parliamentarian, Usutuaije Maamberua has called for a forensic audit into government’s resettlement programme since its inception to determine the extent and validity of perceived nepotism, corruption and elitism.
Maamberua made this plea in a recent interview with Nampa after his plea fell on deaf ears and was rejected in the National Assembly last week.
He said if government has nothing to hide, then a forensic audit into the programme is the way to go to set the record straight.
“The motion was basically rejected by the ruling party. The Speaker (Peter Katjavivi) wanted to divide the house but there was no quorum… the Minister of Land Reform (Utoni Nujoma) objected to such a motion to be accepted and the others went along with that,” Maamberua said.
He continued: “I then wondered what they are hiding. Are they hiding the corruption that is taking place, fraud, nepotism and all the other transgressions taking place in that ministry?
“I am not the one saying there are problems (with the resettlement programme). It’s actually the public,” he said.
Maamberua’s comments come just two weeks after Ombudsman John Walters released the list of resettlement programme beneficiaries.
For long, government’s handling of the resettlement programme has come under heavy criticism from certain quarters who say it is skewed in favour of certain ethic groups, politicians and their cronies to the disadvantage of deserving and needy Namibians.
To date, government bought 494 farms from which over 5 700 beneficiaries have been resettled or settled across eight regions since the programme’s inception.
When approached by Nampa on Monday, Landless People’s Movement’s spokesperson, Paul Thomas welcomed the call for an audit into the programme.
“We are still of the opinion that the list given by the ministry of the ombudsman does not reflect the reality on the ground,” he charged.
Thomas added the movement will set up its own investigation committee in the regions that will do comparisons between the ministry’s master list and what is ‘really on the ground”.
(NAMPA)