Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698749819020.pdf (Namibia)
REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA MINISTRY OF YOUTH, NATIONAL SERVICE, SPORT AND CULTURE OFFICE OF THE MINISTER Tel: +264 - 61 - 2706510 Fax: +264 - 61 - 222479 NDC Building Goethe Street Private bag 13391 Windheok, Namibia BUDGET SPEECH BY: HONOURABLE KAZENAMBO KAZENAMBO: MINISTER OF YOUTH, NATIONAL SERVICE, SPORT AND CULTURE DATE: 06 MARCH 2012 HONOURABLE SPEAKER HONOURABLE MEMBERS the Public Sector Right from the onset, I would like to agree with the reasoning as outlined in the introduction of the Development Programmes: Estimates of Expenditure: Medium Term Expenditure Framework for 2012/2013 to 2014/2015 which I quote:" The Development Budget is the vehicle for the Government of the Republic of Namibia to implement support economic growth; and facilitates the delivery of essential economic, social and security services, particularly for the poorer segments of the Namibian society.
The Public Investment includes official Development Assistance or Aid received from the International development partners.

The Development Budget provides the funding for key infrastructure that attracts and supports domestic and foreign investment and economic opportunities" .
Investment Programme and facilitates to services (PSIP) that citizens' access the As we often say that, our government aim to develop Namibia as a logistic hub, I believe that Infrastructure development is one of the effective means to realize this progressive dream.
And in this light, I would like to use this opportunity and platform to link my take on this year's budget discussion to the legacy and negative effects left/caused by the German war of Genocide against the people of Namibia who now find themselves scattered in the remote rural areas of Namibia where there is lack of basic infrastructure and social amenities.

.
.

1 The legacy of the War of Genocide that was waged by the German colonial troops against the people of Namibia between 1904-1908, has resulted in the deprivation economic survival and livelihood.

The War of of the affected communities' followed it, has like that of apartheid Colonial occupation that Genocide, just caused social and economic dysfunctionalism amongst the majority of the people of Namibia.
HONOURABLE SPEAKER HONOURABLE MEMBERS the German War of Genocide has inflicted deep It is my strong conviction, that Political, Social and Economic Scars that may take Generations to heal, and of which our current limited Namibia budget may not address entirely as urgent as it may be desired.

the German Colonial War of Genocide has Economically, in the dispossession of the land and confiscation of the livestock of the indigenous people of Namibia, therefore depriving them of their livelihood.
For an example, it is said that before the outbreak of the War, Chief Kambazembi used to have about 60 000 cattle as a family in the Waterberg area of present day Okakarara Constituency of the Otjozondjupa Region.

All these cattle were not accounted for after the war.

resulted Socially, the members of the affected vanquished communities were forcefully thrown into Concentrations Camps, and in the process some of them were indiscriminately separated from their families and relatives.
Through this process some lost their language.

To top it all, some were forced into exile, while some perished from thirst and hunger in the Kalahari deserts and other areas of hostile environment across Namibia while trying to escape from the annihilating/killing weapons of destruction which did not spare even children and women.

They died while escaping from the weaponry of Genocide (thus were forced to die from the silent killing weapon of hunger and thirst).
HONOURABLE SPEAKER HONOURABLE MEMBERS Furthermore, please allow me to answer the question as to why I am linking my budget consideration to the German War of Genocide?
My quick answer to this question is that, more than 21 years of Namibia's independence, and more than 100 years since our movable and non-movable assets (land and livestock): (Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Donkeys, Horses, Dogs and Cats) were illegally confiscated from us, the majority of the affected communities are still living and toiling in abject barren poverty, mostly in the overcrowded, communal areas across the under developed rural areas of Namibia.
over-grazed and unproductive 2 In most part of the rural areas of Namibia where the majority of the decedents (Children, great grand children) of the affected people who were released from the Concentration Camps, and some who have returned from exiles from countries such as Angola, Botswana, South Africa, etc, still live do not have any tarred road, and do not have any electricity.
They are still faced with challenges of lack of in some portable drinking water both for human and livestock consumptions instances/cases.

Living in the dark rural areas where there is no electricity, it means that these people are being left behind by the information age (information superhighway) as their children cannot benefit from technological innovations.

Education examination results from schools that are based in many of these rural areas where these communities stays leave much to be desired.
As far as physical Infrastructure development is concerned, lack of tarred roads to some of these rural locations causes delays in the delivery of health amenities and services to these communities.

The Roads accidents caused by slippery and overused pot-holed gravel roads that have far surpassed their life expectancy is something of daily occurrence in these rural settings.
Access to markets, be it for livestock marketing or procurements and distributions of goods and services remain a big challenge and a nightmare for the land from which these rural-based communities.

While this is the situation, these affected communities were uprooted from, remain a safe heaven for the majority of the German absentee land lords, and other foreigners who uses it for hunting safaris and tourism hideouts.
These farms which are occupied by German absentee land lords, some of them have been abandoned, left to get rotten as their owners show no interests in developing or taking care of them, rather than now and then visiting them to shoot an Eland or Oryx for a toy-horn.

These are experiences in a country where the majority of the citizens are hungry for land.
The majority of the people of Namibia are hungry for Land, not just for the sake of to become it, but because the majority of them were denied opportunities industrialists, as they were kept in the Bantustans by the apartheid colonial regime.

As many of them were locked out of the mainstream of the economy from to lucrative economic tourism, mentioned but a few, the majority of them depended and still depend on agriculture, especially subsistence farming, be it livestock husbandry or crop production.
such as mining, construction, sectors just if Many of our rural based communities heavily depend on agriculture; the development of we intend to do "more with less" as suggested, .infrastructure that will support agriculture as a priority economic sector of which the majority of the people of Namibia depend.

let us target therefore, As we speak, many of the people of Namibia in the rural areas are finding new homes in the remotest parts of our country.
Many are doing these to find new 3 greener pastures for their livestock and for their survival means.

They are playing an important role in our economic development.

Therefore there is a need to help them to help themselves, and in the process easy the pressure from government by building key infrastructure their goods and If we can prioritize the tarred road networks amongst others, then one services.
will be able to drive around this country, and this may accelerate the expansion of agriculture output in our economy, and also contribute immensely to tourism development that will enable them to market Those that lived in the urban areas were here to provide cheap labour to the then political and economic establishment.

These cheap labour workers were living in socially depressed areas (black locations) with lack of amenities.
The participation in the main stream of the economy was almost minimal if not zero for indigenous Namibian before the attainment of our independence in 1990 The Namibia - Budget remain limited to ease the pressure and plight of our people.

Hence German and the international community must hear the voice of reason that calls for reparations for the War of Genocide caused against the people of Namibia between 1904 - 1908.
This is a just call warranting a progressive responsell Tourism is also one of the important sectors of our economy which contribute a lot to our economic development not ignoring or excluding other sectors of our economy.

HONOURABLE SPEAKER .


HONOURABLE MEMBERS the In conclusion, again I wholeheartedly Development Budget is the vehicle for the government of the Republic of Namibia to implement (PSIP) that support economic growth and facilitates delivery of essential economic, social and security services, particularly for the poor segments of the Namibia society.
agree with the statement Investment Programmes the Public Sector that, And as the public investment also include the Official Development Assistance or I would like to use this aid received from the international development partners, platform to thank countries that are supporting our country in our development efforts.
Further, I would like to appeal for more development assistance or funding for key infrastructure such as Tarred Road Constructions, electricity provision and Telecommunication in order to improve the standard of living of our people in the rural areas.
I appeal that government together with various stakeholders such as leaders, Farmers Union, Trade unions, Regional Councillors, Governors, traditional and other Church Leaders, Representative Stakeholders come together to identify priority areas where key infrastructure for development need to be developed.

of our Development Partners 4 I thankyou