PDM criticises CoW’s salary increment

WINDHOEK, 24 JUL  – The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has expressed disappointment in the fact that the City of Windhoek has decided to increase its employees’ salaries while their service delivery is not up to standard.
At a media conference held here on Tuesday, PDM’s Treasurer-General and Member of Parliament, Nico Smit, said the increment came at an inopportune time.
“This increase came into operation on the same day that the city announced a whole raft of large increases in services to the public, including water and funerals, amongst others,” Smit said.
He suggested that instead of increasing salaries, this money was supposed to be used to service land and pay for other services around the capital.
The PDM further said it was time to demand accountability from the custodians of these offices, adding that they could have refused their salary increments at a time when everyone is aware of the desperate economic situation.
“The city’s streets remain in a disgraceful condition, a number of people are still begging for serviced land, while people continue to land in hospitals as a results for various sanitation related-diseases,” he added.
The official opposition party also accused the ruling Swapo party of failing the masses over the years by making empty promises, before making a vow to provide free serviced land to the masses, should they be elected into power through next year’s national general elections.
“You cannot call yourself a Namibian if you do not own a piece of land in the country. Namibia does have enough land for everyone,” Smit said.
The party also made an assurance that it would solve the land delivery problem in urban areas by contracting private companies to services the plots presently occupied by ‘squatters’.
Smit stressed that voters need to change their voting patterns if they want better services or continue to endure the hardships through the empty promises made by the current government.
(NAMPA)