Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698939769574.pdf (Namibia)
Thursday, 16 September 2021 No.

9 - 2021 - 205 - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS TABLE OF CONTENTS MINISTER: QUESTION NO.

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Prime Minister .............................................................................................. 89 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation .................................................................... 90, 100 Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security ..... 104, 105, 112 Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs .................................................. 108 Minister of Finance ................................................................................. 95, 99 Minister of Education, Arts and Culture ............................................... 94, 102 Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare ........ 93 Minister of Health and Social Services ............................................... 107, 109 Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation ... 91, 103 10.
Minister of Mines and Energy ................................................................ 87, 98 11.

Minister of Justice 12.

Minister of Urban and Rural Development .................................................. 88 13.

Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism .................................... 79, 82 14.

Minister of Industrialisation and Trade .................................................. 91, 96 15.
Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform ................................. 92, 111 16.

Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources 17.

Minister of Works and Transport .................................................................. 97 18.

Minister in the Presidency 19.

Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service 20.

Minister of Information and Communication Technology - 206 - 21.

Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation 22.
Minister of Public Enterprises ............................................................. 106, 110 Question 87: (2021-09-07) Mr. Martin (PDM) asked the Minister of Mines and Energy: Namibia exports more than 30 000 dimension stones (marble and granite) to South Africa which are found in Karibib.

The dimension stone industry in Namibia has been in existence for many years, however its potential has not yet been fully developed.

The demand for dimension stone is increasing in Namibia and SADC.
Namibia’s internal market for dimension stone is small, and is limited mainly to tomb stone manufacturing with occasional building cladding/flooring application.

Annual production of marble and granite has shown a rapid increase in tonnage since 2003.

There has been an increase in the variety of dimension stone now available, which is mainly due to the upswing in dimension stone exploration, and mining in Namibia.

These stones are used to make tiles and many others.

I thus ask: 1.

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Why is the dimension industry’s ‘potential’ not yet fully developed in Namibia?

Is government looking at this lucrative mining with a blind eye?

With such a high unemployment rate in our country, and with a rapid increase in the demand of dimension stones, why can’t government invite prospective investors to open factories in Namibia and give employment to our people rather than creating employment for our neighbours?
How much employment has been created so far for people within the vicinity of the project area, such as those residing near Karibib and Usakos?
_________________ Question 88: (2021-09-07) Mr. Seibeb (LPM) asked the Minister of Urban and Rural Development: On 23 August 2021, you and the Executive Director of MURO, a certain Nghidinua Daniel, wrote a letter, entitled “MINISTERIAL APPROVAL TO CREATE A POSITION OF PERSONAL ASSISTANT (PA) TO THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR AND FILLING OF THE POSITION” using some unintelligent, vengeful , acrimonious and bad arguments not found in law and in fact, and also in advanced human resource management and organisational behaviour disciplines, to reject a progressive and futurisitc proposal of the appointment of a Personal Assistant to the Mayor of Mariental.
The Executive Director, once again relied on bad advice in writing that letter as there is nothing actually in law, preventing any Town Council Mayor to appoint a Personal Assistant in the furtherance of his or her duties.
The threshold is too steep and before the horse start to jolt, take my advice and reverse your Executive Directors little evil - 207 - letter otherwise you will face the same legal conundrum, as it were in the case of Philanda Christiaan-Unchen Konjore over //Kharas Regional Council Management, or in the instance of misreading the laws borrowing from the Supreme Court judgment of Bernadus Swartbooi and Others vs Peter Hitjitevi Katjavivi matter.
I am proud to seize this opportunity, by the way, to congratulate The Mayor of Mariental, His Worship Hon.

Adam Kuhlman for being elected over the weekend as the Inaugural Chairperson of the Mayor’s and Chairpersons of Village Councils Forum in Hardap and //Kharas regions.

Hon.
Kuhlman, a Head of Department at a secondary school in Marienta,l holds an Master in Education and is known as a man, who relies pretty much on “independen ce of thought as a condition of good politics.” The Mariental Town Council has after careful consideration of its budget and having due regard to clean up the mess, which was created by the previous Swapo councillors, identified a need to appoint a fulltime Personal Assistant to reduce administrative and technical backlog, fight corruption and create a capable administration, with a clear aim to provide effective and efficient service delivery.
Our goal supreme is to harness investment opportunities and create conducive environment for all in Mariental to pursue their dreams in pursuit of happiness.

My questions are therefore as follows; 1.

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Did you and your Executive Director received advice from the wounded trio of Attorney-General, Chief Magistrate Philanda Christiaan and Minister of Justice Yvonne Dausab to take revenge on such a matter as that of an appointment of a Personal Assistant just because Mariental Town Council is under Landless People’s Movement administration?
When do you focus on your mandate of finding solutions to urban housing crisis, the political economy of the urban land crisis, massive housing initiatives and sheltering thousands of Namibians, especially in big urban centres like Windhoek, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Katima Mulilo, Rundu, Ongwediva, if you find so much time in fighting LPM councillors in //Kharas and Hardap regions?
Is this part of your grand plan to implement measures aimed at frustrating and carrying out ethnic cleansing and genocidal policies of “we control the cake philosophy” which was so aptly promoted by Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs?

Why have you not approved budgets submitted by local authorities and when do you plan to do so, so that the implementation of development programs and projects is not further delayed?
_________________ Question 89: (2021-09-07) Ms. Van den Heever (PDM) asked the Prime Minister: During the 6th Parliament.

a total of 73 motions were tabled by members of various political parties represented at the time in the Natonal.

In the early days of the 6th Parliament.

you responded to a question by former SWANU MP Hon.
Usutuaije Maamberua that the Office of the Prime Minister planned to establish a directorate that would deal with the monitoring and implementation of motions passed by the National Assembly.

- 208 - However, the 6th Parliament has since lapsed, and no such directorate has been established by the Office of the Prime Minister to oversee the implementation of the countless motions that we adopt here as MP’s in the National Assembly.
The establishment of such a directorate is long overdue and critical to the work of Parliament.

This House has adopted a number of progressive motions that seek to address the complex socio-economic issues that the people of this country urgently need addressed.

However, it becomes clear that these motions are just mere sentiments on paper, and are never implemented by the relevant state institutions to which they are addressed to, making the work ofMP”s almost inconsequential.
I thus ask the Prime Minister: 1.

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When will the Office of the Prime Minister establish a directorate that deals with the monitoring and implementation of motions adopted by the National Assembly?

If and when such office is established, how will the Office of the Prime Minister ensure that motions adopted by the National Assembly are effectively implemented by the relevant state institutions?

Does the Rt.

Hon.
Does the Rt.

Hon.

Prime Minister agree with me that the current status quo where adopted National Assembly motions become white elephants renders the work of this House inconsequential?

_________________ Question 90: (2021-09-07) Mr. Iipumbu (NEFF) asked the Deputy Prime Minister and International Relation and Cooperation: 1.

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Minister, now that you had visited the Zambezi Region, regarding the crisis that occasionally occurs at the borders, what agreement have you stretched with the Botswana authority?

Was this meeting attended by the Governor, Traditional leaders and the constituency councillor?

Whose islands are this (Chobe, Impalila, Kapani) if our people continued to be terrified and victimised there?

ls there something that we as Namibians do not know about the border lines in this region?
Are the lives of our people now safe guaranteed after your visit?

Is the investigation into the killing of the 4 brothers concluded?

Finally Minister, can you share more light on the consensor agreement Namibia has with Botswana.
_________________ - 209 - Question 91: (2021-09-07) Mr. Auchab (UDF) asked the Minister of Industrialisation and Trade: The corridor efficiency is critical to successful intra-African trade, therefor, if Africa wants to boost intra African trade under the African Continental free trade area agreement, corridors and railways have to function optimally.

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May the Minister share with the members of this August House how ready Namibia is for continental connectivity to facilitate intra-African trade under the AFCFTA.

Minister many African countries transport corridors only offers one mode of transport-road while others offer both road and rail transport, what is Namibia offering to determine the extent and speed on which the country exchange goods.
May the Minister also share, how well the corridor institutions of Namibia are structured and operate, determines their capacity to discharge their rates and effectiveness in dealing with corridor bottlenecks, non tariff barriers and the performance of the corridor.

_________________ Question 92: (2021-09-07) Mr. Van Wyk (PDM) asked the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform: Minister.
information suggests that the Namibian dairy industry has been in the midst of a serious crisis for years and is on the verge of collapse because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) has indicated that the local dairy industry is on the verge of collapse and total extinction.

It is clear that serious intervention is needed at all levels, to aid the industry.
I shall therefore ask the following: Minister, apart from amending existing legislation to protect the dairy industry in Namibia.

what other short term plans do Government have or plans to implement as a matter of urgency in order to aid the industry from total collapse.
_________________ Question 93: (2021-09-07) Mr. Van Wyk (PDM) asked the Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare: Minister, much confusion was caused by the just implemented payment process that aims to make cash payments to the beneficiaries who depends on social pension for survival.
The new system that has replaced pension payments through Nampost branches country wide was introduced without proper consultation and communication, resulting in many pensioners not receiving their pension this month .

Firstly many pensioners were apparently not aware that the payment systems would change as of this month , September.

Neither were the arrival times of the paymasters communicated to them, as such information was only availed on Friday, 3 September 2021.
- 210 - I shall therefore ask the following: 1.

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Minister, what was the rationale behind the abolishment of a workable and secure payment with a cash payment that has been problematic in the past?

What measures would you implement to service those pensions who were not on time at the new pay points to receive their payments as many would not service until the next payment date which will be in October 2021?
In light of the increase in armed robberies in the country, what security measures are in place to safeguard the process, employees and the pensioners?

_________________ Question 94: (2021-09-07) Mr. Tjeundo (PDM) asked the Minister of Education, Arts and Culture: Education amidst Covid-19 is still grappling with a critical shortage of desks, chairs and textbooks at our public schools.
This situation is not only unique to the special circumstances sanctioned by Covid-19, but it is a situation that has persisted for 31 years since independence.

This continuing status quo disables efficient and proper teaching and learning, and eventually contributes to poor results in our public schools.
It is also evident that law makers, civil society, the media and affected communities have at numerous platforms made serious calls to your ministry to totally rectify the shortage of desks, chairs and textbooks at our public schools, but to no avail.

I thus ask: 1.

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Has the shortage of desks, chairs and textbooks been rectified at our public schools?
If rectified, can the Minister provide this August house with situational reports on how many desks, chairs and textbooks were distributed in the Namibian schools?

Provide evident reports on the learner/chair, learner/desk and learner/ textbook ratio in Namibian schools?

_________________ Question 95: (2021-09-08) Mr. Smit (PDM) asked the Minister of Finance: In its latest annual report, the Development Bank of Namibia refers to the lack of funding for project preparation.
This aspect of project financing is often overlooked by smaller investors or entrepreneurs but it is essential in large development projects.

Just to give you an example, a small, relatively simple so-called reverse listing on the Namibia Stock Exchange, required about N$2 million in project preparation funding.
As any person who has scouted for financing knows, a lack of upfront funding to pay for the cost of project preparation, can kill any project event before it becomes bankable regardless of the investment merits of the project.

- 211 - For large development projects, the preparation funding can run into many millions of dollars.

If the Development Bank finds it difficult to carry these costs due to their own financing constraints, I ask the fallowing: 1.

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Can the Minister tell this August House exactly what the almost defunct Investment Centre in the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, is doing to attract and promote investment?

In the past, the cost of project preparation fell in the ambit of the Investment Centre.

This centre is still active, at least its officials are still paid but I cannot recall a single successful project that was brought to bankable stage by the Investment Centre in the last ten years.
Can the Minister please enlighten us on how many projects the Investment Centre is working on, and why it cannot finance this crucial aspect of investment, instead of relying on the Development Bank to carry the costs?

Seeing that the new Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board in the Office of the President is in the process of taking over from the Investment Centre, what is there to take over?
_________________ Question 96: (2021-09-08) Mr. Smit (PDM) asked the Minister of Industrialisation and Trade: Does anybody remember the attempt to lure Chevrolet to set up an assembly facility in Namibia under the Barden International banner?

Or the ill-fated Peugeot assembly plant destined for Gobabis?

Nobody seems to have learnt any lessons from these disastrous attempts.
The Peugeot assembly plant in Walvis Bay where so-called semi knockdown kits are imported and assembled, has turned into a repeat of Barden International’s Namibian flirtation with Chevrolet and Peugeot vehicles.

According to our information, not a single Peugeot 308 assembled in Walvis Bay, has been sold in Namibia to the private sector.

All sales have been to ministries, agencies and parastatals.

I thus ask: 1.

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I thus ask: 1.

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Can the Minister tell this august House how many vehicles have been assembled to date, how many have been sold in the local market, how many have been sold in the SADC market, and how many have been exported?

Please also inform this august House what financial commitments were made to Groupe PSA, the Peugeot mother company.
_________________ - 212 - Question 97: (2021-09-08) Mr. Martin (PDM) asked the Minister of Works and Transport: For the past few months, there have been an increase in the number of accidents involved in cargo trucks on our national roads.

Causes of these accidents are linked to worn tyres that burst, brakes failures due to poor or lacks of maintenance and servicing of trucks.
Another reason that contributes is fatigue of drivers because they work under immense pressure to deliver cargo on time, among others.

This put the life of truck drivers and other road users in danger.

The maintenance and servicing of trucks appears to have been compromised, in that they are not well monitored neither are they properly well taken care of.

Thus I ask: 1.

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How often does the ministry regulates the maintenance and servicing of cargo trucks?
When will government gazette the basic salary of truck drivers?

Currently, drivers are paid per trip as they deliver goods.

What tools does the ministry have in place to monitor the qualities of tyres being imported into Namibia?

_________________ Question 98: (2021-09-08) Ms. Becker (PDM) asked the Minister of Mines and Energy: Minister, on 15 April 2021 I posed a question to you regarding Nambib Resources Proprietary Limited.
I would like to thank you for the information shared with me during our recent meeting.

However, for the sake of public interest and as agreed during our meeting, I thus put the question again.

Minister, Nambib Resources Proprietary Limited a company owned by Malaysian born Dr. Subramanian Ragubathi, has been embroiled in a nasty fight with the Namibian government over Exclusive Prospective Licenses (EPL’s) in the Toscanini Diamond Area along the Skeleton Coast for more than 20 years now.
This history of the battle between Nambib Resources and the Namibian government is long, complicated and common knowledge to those who are well vested with the matter.

One dimension of this whole dilemma is crystal clear, and that is the undeniable fact that the Government of the Republic of Namibia is hell-bent on making sure that Nambib Resources, being headed by Dr. Ragubathi, does not get rightful ownership of the EPL’s that it is entitled to.
Initially, Nambib Resources was the holder of four (4) Exclusive Prospective Licenses, which were: - 213 - (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) EPL 2696 Toscanini EPL 2564 Torra Bay EPL 2565 Palgrave Point and lastly; EPL 2566 Terrance Bay Nambib Resources had been using these EPL’s to conduct bulk sampling exploration until the Ministry of Mines and Energy inationally and unjustifiably refused to renew Nambib’s Resources licenses in 2008.
Narnbib Resources then approached the High Court of Namibia in order to overturn the unjustifiable refusal of the Mines and Energy Ministry to renew its licenses, and the Windhoek High Court accordingly ruled in favor of Nambib Resources in October 2009, and ordered the Mines and Energy Ministry to renew the licenses of Nambib Resources.
However almost 12 years later, these licenses that are due to Nambib Resources as per the court order delivered in October 2009 have still not been renewed by the Mines and Energy Ministry, despite the Mining Commissioner having written to Nambib Resources on 01 April 2014 that the EPL’s will be granted back to Nambib Resources with a fresh start.
Rather, EPL 5517 overlapping EPL 2696 had been given to a company by the name of Ya Otto Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd, whose Managing Director at the time, Mr. Haroldt Kamatuka, was a convicted offender.

Therefore, Mr. Haroldt Kamatuka and his company, which has now been renamed to Ya Otto Mining and Exploration (Pty) Ltd, was in fact supposed to be disqualified from holding any licenses as per Sections 5, 16 and 49 of the Diamonds Act 13 of 1999.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy once again completely ignored this illegality and once more renewed the licenses of Ya Otto Mining and Exploration (Pty) (Ltd) for another three (3) years.

I thus ask the Minister: 1.

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When will the Ministry of Mines and Energy comply with the court order of the High Court and grant back the four (4) Exclusive Prospective Licenses that rightly belong to Dr. Subramanian Ragubathi and Nambib Resources (Pty) Ltd, namely: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) EPL 2696 Toscanini EPL 2564 Torra Bay EPL 2565 Palgrave Point and lastly; EPL 2566 Terrace Bay Can the Minister explain and justify to this august House why the Mines and Energy Ministry awarded EPL 5517 overlapping EPL 2696 to Mr. Haroldt Kamatuka and his company Ya Otto Mining and Exploration (Pty) Ltd, despite it not qualifying for such license as per Section 5, 16 and 49 of the Diamonds Act 13 of 1999?
Will the Minister concur with me when I say that what happened in this whole dilemma is a gross violation of process and the law by the Mines and Energy Ministry?
_________________ - 214 - Question 99: (2021-09-08) Mr. Seibeb (LPM) asked the Minister of Finance: In her 2018 book, “Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous” Ngozi Okonjo-lweala (Director- General of World Trade Organisation), hell-bent on confronting the Nigerian Oil Scammers, when she was a Minister of Finance under President Goodluck Jonathan noted that “Nigerians were distrustful of government, fed up with politics and corruption, and only clung to oil subsidies, feeling they were the only direct benefits they enjoyed from their country’s oil resources.” The same could be attributed to Namibia.
Namibians are “distrustful of Government, fed up with politics and corruption.” After the dramatic and shameful closure of the SME Bank, the Namibians thought that the only accessible avenue for public financing of their SME’s was arguably the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN).
Few weeks ago, there were revelations made in the mainstream media that a certain businessman, Mr. Onesmus ‘Tona’ Amadhila allegedly received loan with N$180 million, and defaulted on repayments but was nonetheless granted special treatment from the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN).

He was not in terms of the law not pursued as is normally the case with other ordinary Namibians, who are debtors to the Bank.
It was further reported that he was granted special amnesty during the period when his spouse was Minister of Finance.

If these claims are precise, it amounts to cronyism, or at best clientelism.

Chipkin and Swilling (2018) explicitly state in “Shadow State: The politics of state capture” that “corrupt-seekingbehaviour can undermine the state’s development agenda by diverting resources into the hands of unproductive elites” (Chipkin and Swilling, 2018, p. xi).

Hence the following critical questions; 1.


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Lending should be guided by sound business principles.

In this case, the principles were not correctly applied due to gaps in the system that some can take advantage of.

It is essentially a governance issue.

What are the guiding principles of lending at DBN?

Do we look at what status you hold in society?

Or which political party you belong to?

What are the specific &broad considerations when lending is decided upon?
Minister, have you by any chance asked DBN Managing Director (or Board) how they loaned a prominent Politically Exposed Person (PEP), a whole N$180 million whereas others, ordinary Namibians, even seeking for investment amounts less than N$200 000 are rejected, even with they sound business plans?

Is this not a loan concentration of almost one-quarter of the whole loan book of DBN to one individual and by implication, one family?
I have followed the old oft-rehearsed myth and the spin doctoring by the Prime Minister and her sycophants, which embraced, as Michela Wrong wrote in her book “It’s Our Tum To Eat” concept of “Blame The Entourage Line” argument, which purports to claim that the Prime Minister must not be blamed for her husband’s deeds, But the reality on the ground is that she cannot claim total ignorance.

This bothers on intellectual & personal dishonesty.
The issue is that during the time that the current Prime Minister was serving as the Minister of Finance there has been a lacuna during which all sorts of underhanded activities and mismanagement of public funds had flourished uncontrollably.

Did you, - 215 - Minister, by any chance conduct an investigation and interviewed the Prime Minister to ascertain whether she had applied undue pressure on DBN Board/ MD to favour her spouse business interests?

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If the martial regimes is one of marriage in the community of property, she is directly involved in the business nature of her business.

She would have required to sign documents that provide security cessions of the family property in order to obtain some of the loans.

Have you investigated her involvement, and to what extent her involvement stretches.
_________________ Question 100: (2021-09-08) Mr. Seibeb (LPM) asked the Deputy Prime Minister and International Relations and Cooperation: As the LPM, and rightly as Internationalist’s, we have observed that there is increase onslaught against the indigenous peoples in the world, The living space and commonages for the indigenous people is squeezed every day.
ON THE FORCED EVICTION OF ZIMBABWEAN INDGIENOUS PEOPLE FROM THEIR LAND Mr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, The President of Zimbabwe plan, to evict 12 000 members of the Shangani indigenous minority from their ancestral land in Zimbabwe, to purportedly make way for an alfalfa production (animal feed production), for a commercial interest of one person, despite a March 6, 2021 court order to halt the move, using his so-called special presidential powers.
The Zimbabwean president and, by implication Zimbabwean authorities are specifically threatening to remove the Chilonga people from their homes without offering them any alternative accommodation.

Nor any compensation for the illegal expropriation of their land.

The people are anxious and such forced evictions drive people into poverty and destroy livelihoods , and creates internal displacements, marginalization of many.

The following question suffices; 1.

2.


Could the Minister inquire from her counterpart or from the Zimbabwean High Commissioner in Namibia on this critical matter and provide a thorough feedback to Parliament as we witness similar actions being committed by Namibian powerful state elite in capture of land and land grabbing of the Hail/ om San people.
Does the Namibian Government support, land dispossession of indigenous peoples, in its foreign policy along party dictates and colonialist lines and their subsequent de-humanisation as with the Hail/om San in Namibia?

ON THE GENOCIDE COMMITTED BY CHINA AGAINST THE UYRGHUYRS IN XINJIANG For far too long, we have been quiet as a nation against the ongoing acts of Genocide, committed by the Chinese government against Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China.
The irresponsible utterances by the Chinese President Xi Jinping set in motion the effort to destroy Uighurs as a group when he launched the “People’s War on Terror” in Xinjiang in 2014.
- 216 - The Report entitled, ‘THE UYGHUR GENOCIDE: An Examination of China’s Breaches of the 1948 Genocide Convention, March 2021’ by the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, summarised the Genocidal acts as: killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction in whole or in part, imposing measures intended to prevent births and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Therefore the following questions: 1.

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Why have we not expressed ourselves in one way or the other, either to support China in its denial that there is no Genocide, or in condemning China of a Genocide that they are trying to hide?

Have we as a country, decided to abdicate from our international duty by having signed the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide?

Does our silence therefore condone a possible Genocide in China?
And as members of the African Union also, we cannot be quiet on Genocide matters.

In Rwanda , we had a major genocide, and as Africans we cannot be silent in the face of extermination of ethnic minorities anywhere in the world.

Just in 1904-1908 Namibia experienced its largest ethnic extermination of its own people, yet the Namibian government appears indifferent to these types of global crimes against humanity.

Is the Swapo government a genocidal government, in reflecting on its Lubango history?
Namibia’s Constitution is awash with a human rights discourse including protection of life, liberty and the refusal for arbitrary detention.

It is common international practice that a country’s national Constitution represents the values and the consensus of a society.

Therefore, the foreign policy of each country is actually the extension of its domestic values, virtues and traditions.
Has Namibia therefore abandoned its values and convictions as a nation, that just thirty one years ago, emerged from the clutches of apartheid colonialism, in maintaining silence against China’s human rights abuses?

Is money or concessional loans more important for Namibia then human lives?

In Namibia, we experienced a painful Genocide, which resulted in land dispossession and this case reminds us of our painful historic experience.
Have you summoned Ambassador of China in Namibia, or our Ambassador in Beijing to discuss this Genocide with a hope to take concrete action?

Will Namibia sponsor a motion in UN Security Council to denounce China and impose sanctions against this country?

If China continues with the same degree of Genocidal agenda, will Namibia boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic games?
ON THE GENOCIDE OF THE RUHINGA PEOPLE IN MYANMAR - 217 - Myanmar, it is widely reported, has engaged in a broad and sustained Genocide of the Rohingya people, under the leadership of the so-called Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy activist, who is herself now under house arrest.

This Genocide has forced millions of Rohingya to flee from the motherland in seeking refuge in other neighbouring countries, destitute, and reduced to tent dwellers for more many years now.
Discriminatory policies of Myanmar’s government since the late 1970s have compelled hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya to flee their homes in the predominantly Buddhist country.

Most have crossed by land into Bangladesh, while others have taken to the sea to reach Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The Myanmar government has effectively institutionalized discrimination against the ethnic group through restrictions on marriage, family planning, employment, education, religious choice, and freedom of movement.

The United Nations has said that those forces showed “genocidal intent,” and international pressure on the country’s elected leaders to end the repression continues to rise.

Hence the following questions; 1.

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Why have we not expressed ourselves in one way or the other, to condemn the military junta in Myanmar?

Does our silence condone the Genocide that happened in Myanmar (Burma)?

Namibia has not made any statement at the United Nations, African Union level, or even sponsored a motion on sanctions?

Why the silence?

Has Namibia taken any loans from Myanmar?

Any bilateral relations?


_________________ Question 101: (2021-09-08) Mr. Swartbooi (LPM) asked the Speaker of the National Assembly: On 20 July instant, at approximately 08h50 at the National Council building of the Parliament of the Republic of Namibia, our lawyer’s viz.

Adv.

Patrick Kauta and Mercy Kuzeeko appeared to attend the scheduled hearing of the Privileges and Immunities Committee.
At the entrance, the legal team was requested to place their bags in the screening machine, which machine was manned by two police officers in uniform.

After a while the two lawyers “were bewildered” when informed that the office bag of Adv.

Kauta was indicating the presence of a pistol at the bottom of the bag of Adv.

Kauta.

After emptying his bag, the machine still indicated that the bag had a pistol.
After a gravely tense moment, two police plain clothed officers, appeared from behind the scenes and instructed the uniformed officers to let the two lawyers go.

Our information obtained is the following: That the Speaker of the National Assembly, jointly with the Namibian Police and the Intelligence System, intended to create a scenario where Hon.

Seibeb and I would be arrested with unlicensed guns in the Privileges and Immunities Committee Meeting.
We would be arrested , detained and - 218 - would appear in the Windhoek Magistrates Court the next day, which coincided with the Supreme Court hearing slated for 21st July 2021.

No wonder, despite every ill-fated attempt by your lawyer’s suggestions in the Supreme Court to characterize us as dangerous, the Court never even directed itself to comment on the nonsensical and irrelevant character assassinating aspersions that your team canvassed.
The plan hedged with these security apparatus, was to locate us in the public space as having intended to shoot the Speaker, with a view to buttress the legal and factual exposition made by the Speakers legal team that we are violent and are a threat to the National Assembly.

Couple of weeks before the Committee meeting, you were already Hon.

Katjavivi, seeking to host a meeting with us at either National Assembly or National Council building.
When we rejected the request for meeting at a venue of your choice, we already were tipped of the evil plan you were conspiring to implement against us.

I therefore ask the following questions: 1.

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Why did the Namibian Police not arrest the two lawyers, if there was a genuine weapon found in their possession?

Can you confirm that you and your staff members were at the apex with the security detail, in planning and executing this dangerous and cowardly action against us?
Can you confirm that this instance defamed and destroyed the image, standing and reputation of the National Assembly, as private citizens were placed in an untenable and loathsome situation, which created fears and uncertainties about the safety and sanctity of this place?
What assurances are you going to give to the public and the voters that have voted us into this important House, about our safety and security at this work place, and about potential framing of us to secure imprisonment that you so desire upon us?
_________________ Question 102: (2021-09-08) Mr. Shihumbu (PDM) asked the Minister of Education, Arts and Culture: The Republic of Namibia is a unitary State, so that while some functions of the Government have been decentralised to regional and local levels, the central Government still has a bigger role to play in major public sectors, which include the education sector.
The one most significant benefit for the centralised role played by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture at the central Government level is to ensure that policy interventions and resource allocations are coordinated across all the 14 regions of our land for the equal benefit of all our people.

Meanwhile it still astounds me to see that reports keep resurfacing pointing to the neglect of some regions as a result of unequal allocation of state resources.
I am therefore inclined to put the following questions to the Minister: - 219 - 1.

2.

3.

4.

Is the Minister aware that teachers who graduated in April 2021 in both Kavango regions are still paid on a grade 12 salary scale until today, while their counterparts in other regions their salaries have been adjusted long ago just after their graduation?

Why is the Ministry treating teachers who graduated in April 2021 like step children of the Minister of Education?
If all people across Namibia have equal access to the opportunit ies to acquire education, and if all teachers under the employment of the Ministry of Education are treated equally in terms of their remunerations, why are things done differently with those who graduated in April 2021?

As things stand, these graduate are working under contracts done through appointment letters, of which contracts will expire by December 2021, there is uncertainty about their employment.
Yet when explanations are sought, the only thing that takes place is to kick the ball between the Ministry’s central Government offices and the regional government offices, without anyone willing to take responsibility for the ill-treatment of these teachers.

For how long will this unacceptable status quo continue unabated?
_________________ Question 103: (2021-09-08) Mr. Isaaks (LPM) asked the Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation: One of the best known effects of the Covid-19 pandemic is the manner in which it ravages the economy worldwide.

Business is disrupted to the extent that many have closed down.

The worst affected include the tourism and transport sectors and manufacturing.

These are notably job carrying sectors.


Also mining and agriculture, which are significant employment providers in Namibia, slowed down significantly.

This is naturally concerning to a nation of a country where the economy is by character dominated by the primary sectors.

Naturally, the already devastating unemployment numbers should by default increase sharply.

A World Bank report projected unemployment in Namibia to be at 38 percent by 2021.
This projection is however pre-covid19, and the unemployment numbers are therefore expected to be much higher.

As a matter of fact it is disputed.

Now my questions are therefore: 1.

2.

What is the most accurate projection of job losses as a result of Covid-19?

Was any study commissioned to find out what the real job losses were as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic related economic slow down and if at all you agree that the coronavirus in fact compounded the already high unemployment rate.

- 220 - 3.
- 220 - 3.

4.

5.

Therefore, is unemployment now higher than was projected in the World Bank report or any other study made in 2020 or at any prior time?

What are the real employment figures for the first two quarters of 2021?

And finally, what are the real and latest figures of job seekers in the first two quarters of 2021 and the corresponding first two quarters of 2020?
_________________ Question 104: (2021-09-08) Ms. Mootu (LPM) asked the Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security: On 15 May 2021, I had written a letter to your office titled “ILLEGAL AND FRADULENT EMPLOYMENT OF CHINESE EMPLOYEES AT THE CHINA NATIONAL NEUCLEAR CORPORATION ROSSING URANIUM LIMITED (RUL)”, to which you have not responded to and thus, should account in this August house.
It has been brought to our attention that, four Chinese nationals: (i) (ii) (iii) Zhenqum (Peter) Fang (General Manager Organization) Jingtao Chang (Manager Business Improvement) Yiwei Li (Procurement Superintendent and Processing Support Superintendent); and (iv) Mingfei Haung (Financial Superintendent) Have allegedly obtained work permits to work for Skeleton Coast Diamonds Limited only which recently changed its name to China National Uranium Corporation Limited (CNUC).
These four Chinese nationals have been illegally working on a full-time basis for China National Nuclear Corporation Rossing Uranium Limited.

Despite the name change, the CNUC holds 68.2% shares in China National Nuclear Corporation Rossing Uranium Limited, but by they still remain separate entities.
The above mentioned employees were arrested on the 5th August 2020, a police case was opened (case number CR0B/08/2020) and they were then handed to Immigration officials for contravening the provisions of Section 27 of the Immigration Control Act 7 of 1993, for not having the work permits of China National Nuclear Corporation Rossing Uranium Limited.

They were then transferred to Naravile Police Station for safe keeping were most foreign nationals are usually kept.
Close to Midnight the same day, the immigration control officer from Swakopmund Home Affairs Office allegedly, ordered for their release.

It is with this background that I ask the following; 1.

2.

Can the Minister investigate, and answer as to what were the reasons for the immediate release of the Chinese officials, without appearing in court and no bail?
It is alleged that a certain Mr. Tjihavera was tasked to investigate the illegal release of the Chinese men from prison, Minister will you inquire as to as to why the investigation is taking so long?

- 221 - 3.

4.

It is apparent that these Chinese officials were accorded special treatment, even after being accused for serious crimes, are these Chinese super beings?

Who have they paid in your Ministry as whose business partners, as they to receive such special treatment?
_________________ Question 105: (2021-09-08) Ms. Mootu (LPM) asked the Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security: During the August by-election campaigns, in Katima Mulio a Swapo campaign vehicle ran over a 2-year-old boy, which was confirmed by the Deputy Commissioner Evans Simasiku.

The boy died upon arrival at the hospital.

It is on record in this August House that when the question was referred to the Hon.
Sophia Shaningwa, Secretary- General of the South West African People’s Organisation Party, her response was that the matter was handled ‘traditionally,’ together with the family of the deceased.

Implicit in her reply was the real possibility of the crime of compounding having occurred .

The crime of compounding is: a criminal act in which a person agrees not to report the occurrence of a crime, or not to prosecute a criminal offender in exchange for money or other consideration.
The statement of the Hon.

Shaningwa could indicate that customary law prevailed over statutory law, in which Article 66 states that customary law shall remain valid to the extent that such customary law does not conflict with the constitution or any other statutory law.

Therefore, I ask the Minister the following: 1.

2.

3.

Can the Minister confirm if there was any case opened against the Swapo driver, and can the case number be provided to the house, including the identity of the perpetrator?
Has the traditional agreement meant that payment was made to the family, if no such payment was made then why is there no evidence of a case at the Katima Mulio police station?

Has the family been threatened by Swapo and its officials not to report the matter?

_________________ Question 106: (2021-09-08) Mr. Iipumbu (NEFF) asked the Minister of Public Enterprise: MTC is the only Government company that Government need to be handle with care as it produces remarkable revenue each and every year.
The company profit, based on its performance, 50% dividend is paid to the Government.

The ideal of listing a company that is worthier than money Government went to borrow from AFDB is a total sign of mismanagement.

This means 2020’s almost billion-dollar Government spoils could be lost by the Government as the profit will in future be determined by the shareholders of MTC.

Government has many companies that are not performing and need to be listed than MTC.
The nation should not be brainwashed as shares are already self-targeted by elites.

Now the following question - 222 - 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Why do you want to privatize the only flourishing entities of the Government (MTC)?

Compared to other GRN compan ies, how much do MTC provide to the Government coffers yearly?

What do we want to achieve as a responsible Government?

Can the Minister explain to the general public as to what Ring Fence means?
To my knowledge: Ring-fence is a virtual obstruction that segregates a portion of company’s financial assets from the rest.

This may be done to reserve money for a specific purpose, to reduce taxes on the company , or to protect the assets from losses incurred by dangerous operations.

The selling of 49% stake in MTC, Is it not amounting to reckless trading as that is not the purpose of share purchases and selling?
Minister, are you not attempting to reduce the asset base of MTC and later MTC faces liquidity problem just like Air Namibia?

Why are you interested in privatizing the only company that can bail out the government ?

This generation will perish , what do you want the younger generation to find and claim ownership?

Namibia does not belong to a few and decision of this nature need to be thoroughly scrutinised 10. Who are earmarked to buy MTC shares?

11.
11.

Finally , can the Minister accept that the GRN has lost vision and strategy to run the country ?

because that’s a kicking of a dying horse phenomenon.

_________________ Question 107: (2021-09-09) Mr. Venaani (PDM) asked the Minister of Health and Social Services: It was reported that the Government allocated close to a billion to fight the Covid-19 pandemic , and that the private sector contributed a significant amount in the interest of accountability and transparency.

I thus ask: 1.

2.
I thus ask: 1.

2.

Minister, can you provide a breakdown of how much funds has been used to date - to fight the Covid-19 pandemic by the State?

How much has the State spend on acquiring oxygens for state hospitals to date?

And what are their generating capacities?


_________________ - 223 - Question 108: (2021-09-09) Mr. Venaani (PDM) asked the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs: A subsidiary company of the Ministry of Defence - August 26 - has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons in the media over the years.

A former minister who was mandated to reform the company was later removed, and an investigation was said to take place.
In May this year, Minister, you were quoted in the media of having said: “As for August 26, the investigation of the issues at August 26 is ongoing and I do not intend to interfere with the investigation.” I thus ask: Minister, it has since been almost four months.

Please explain how far is the investigation?

and when do we expect a report of findings into it?
_________________ Question 109: (2021-09-09) Mr. Tjiveze (RP) asked the Minister of Health and Social Services: There have been numerous talks amongst the public that there are plans to force employees to be vaccinated or face being retrenched; this comes mostly from the healthcare, tourism and hospitality sector.
Past media briefings have repeatedly indicated that getting the vaccine is to be voluntary rather than mandatory (forced), yet the more your Ministry is failing to openly provide information on the vaccine composition and after effects do we find more and more people not being willing to voluntarily get vaccinated.

According to the PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ACT OF 2015 there is no indication of vaccines being made mandatory for all Namibians, including emp lo yees.

Thus, I ask: 1.

2.
Thus, I ask: 1.

2.

What it the legal position of the Ministry of Health and Social Services regarding unconstitutional forced vaccinations of employees and the Namibian public at large.

To achieve herd immunity through immunizations should 60% of the public be vaccinated; and if so; has the Ministry of Health and Social Services procured enough vaccines for such purpose.

3.
3.

Is the Ministry of Health and Social Services able to provide aftercare support to the many who have suffered extreme side effects and/or loss of life from the vaccines.

Thus, I ask: _________________ - 224 - Question 110: (2021-09-09) Mr. Iipumbu (NEFF) asked the Minister of Public Enterprises: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Minister, now that Air Namibia liquidation is on-going, can you share more light with the general public on the full contract of this deal and who did we pay the 1 .6 billion?
Whose company is this and is it only one company?

Are you not sure that this tax payers money had reverted back to Namibia?

Minister, can you agree or deny your link to the said American company the 1.6 billion you paid.

Can the Minister share more light on the accounts of the liquidated Airline (Air Namibia) in the world particularly in German.

How much money is still in Air Namibia‘s bank accounts abroad?

What plan do we have as a government to get this money back?
In regards to the two lawyers that are dealing with the liquidation , what criteria were used to pick them?

Minister, since the inception of your Ministry, privatization is your core song and indeed liquidations.

What pride, legacy are you leaving behind Minister?

Finally, now that the same liquidated Airline owes 3.5 billion, does it mean that since independence, our Airline had been operating on a loss?

How about those years when the government had to bail out the Airline?
Had we not at any time reached a positive balance?

_________________ Question 111: (2021-09-09) Mr. Mwilima (PDM) asked the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform: Producers of white maize in the Zambezi Region are struggling to sell their harvest since the last ploughing season- April this year.

They are faced with many challenges as there is no market for their maize and local millers do not have capacity to purchase their maize.
Some of the challenges they face include: • • • • Lack of storage facilities to keep their maize - hence, their harvest is now being destroyed by rats, termites and so on.

Three quarter of these farmers are keeping their harvest in their backyards.

The buying process is complex to most of these farmers - There exists a long list of farmers, with many of them still not registered with Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB) - and with that millers only buy in small quota per day in a week.
There exists locals who are smuggling maize from Zambia, this has caused a destruction in the maize-buying business for these farmers.

Thus I ask: 1.

2.

Considering the above, Minister, what is your ministry doing to assist local maize farmers?

This is a crisis for local maize farmers who base their income as well as survivals of their families on these harvest.

What model of capacitation does - 225 - your ministry have in place, as a solution to storage facilities for both these farmers and millers?
3.

Minister, explain, what your views are surrounding government loaning these millers funds to buy more maize from local farmers?

_________________ Question 112: (2021-09-07) Mr. Tjeundo (PDM) asked the Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security: A high number of migrants from Angola to Namibia are being observed.

These migrants continue to cross over to Namibia through the northern border seeking food and other essentials goods and services.
Many of the migrants are from the Kunene Province of South Angola.

Hence, these migrants continue crossing over using ungazetted points of entry.

I therefore ask; 1.

2.

3.

4.

How many migrants have entered Namibia through its Northern border to date, and what is Namibia obligations towards the migrants in question?

Why do migrants continue crossing over into Namibia using ungazzeted points of entry as reported?

All regions of Namibia have gazzeted border posts with the exception of Kunene region.
After 31 years since the attainment of independence, how many more years must the people of Kunene wait in order for them to realise gazzeted border posts in the region of their birth?

Under staffing is being experienced at immigration offices in Kunene Region?

When is your Ministry going to fast track recruitment of more immigration officers in the Kunene Region?

_________________