WINDHOEK, Mar. 22 – In an attempt to foster economic development on a national level and promote businesses, Deputy Minister of Works and Transport Veikko Nekundi rallied the youth to rather focus on buying Namibian-produced goods, as opposed to giving foreign products preference. Nekundi was speaking at Academia Secondary School, where he reiterated that the current independence enjoyed today is a result of fights and sacrifices of freedom fighters.
“We should never forget this. Patriotism is above everything and we should as parents and leaders inculcate a feeling of patriotism in our children. Dear learners, you as the youth have a huge task at hand to play in an independent Namibia. Despite Namibia having gained its freedom, as a country we still face a lot of challenges. As a government, we remain committed to addressing these challenges for the benefit of this generation, your generation, and the generation to come,” he said during recent independence celebrations at Academia Secondary School in Windhoek.
Nekundi emphasized that there was a need to implement ‘the issue of Namibianisation.
“The issue of Namibianization needs to be implemented in full swing and it is one of my areas of keen interest. I want to give you a task as a learner. Employment is created when we carry out productive activities on our soil/ground, therefore, when you go to the shops with your parents and they buy foreign products at the expense of Namibian products, please tell your parents to rather opt for the Namibian products.”
Moreover, he highlighted that being independent meant freedom to speech, freedom to fundamental rights to each and every Namibian, “indeed free to choose a career of free choice, freedom to attain education.”
“Dear fellow citizens, independence is pivotal to lead a life of freedom. I urge therefore all of us, to value our independence which we have achieved at the expense of someone’s life, and those who sacrificed their precious lives for our freedom, we are enjoying today. In fact, we must never forget our freedom fighters.
The theme for Academia Secondary School’s annual independence celebrations for this year was “The role of the youth in an independent Namibia. Within the ambit of these freedoms, what role can you play, how do you embrace
these freedoms and rights?”
The Deputy Minister also urged the room to understand, appreciate and embrace their role, taking into cognizant that government, since the attainment of our independence, had played a significant role in changing the lives of the people for
better, amongst others through expansion of the supply of safe and clean drinking water to rural areas.
“New water pipelines have been laid and community water points have been established in many communities. As we
speak, more than 90% of our population has access to safe drinking water. We are proud of this achievement. Post-independence brought about a significant rural electrification program and to date, thousands of Namibians in the rural areas have access to electricity. In addition, the Government has invested significantly in the expansion of infrastructure such as the building and upgrading of roads and it is eminent as Namibia is rated as the top country with the best roads in Africa. Land reform and redistribution continue to be a critical area in addressing socio-economic inequities and the legacies of apartheid colonialism.” – musa@namibiadailynews.info
