Venaani condemns N.dollars 3 000 allocation to Gibeon

Popular Democratic Movement President, McHenry Venaani, has expressed disappointment in the budgetary allocation of N.dollars 3 000 to the Gibeon Village council by Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, to conduct its affairs.

Uutoni reportedly allocated such funds because the village council returns significant amounts of money allocated to it, to the treasury.

The minister was recently quoted as saying that in the 2021/2022 financial year, the ministry allocated an amount of N.dollars 2 million to Gibeon, of which only N.dollars 522 943 was utilised.

“Similarly, in the following financial year – 2022/2023 – the council received N.dollars 407 300, and only utilised an amount of N.dollars 229 231,” Uutoni said.

Venaani said in a statement that the allocation of N.dollars 3 000 to the village council will further delay much-needed projects that he said could uplift the living standards of the Gibeon community.

“While fiscal responsibility is essential, it is equally important to recognise the underlying challenges that hamper development in the southern village of Gibeon. Gibeon, like many other villages, faces significant obstacles to development, including a lack of available land, formal ownership issues, and financial constraints. The scarcity of land restricts the scope of development projects, and without clear and formal ownership structures, the potential for investment and economic growth remains stifled,” Venaani added.

According to him, the allocation of funds might be influenced by contrasting political affiliations within the village.

“Sabotaging or hindering development based on political party affiliations undermines the principles of democracy and hinders progress. All political parties must govern in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration. Challenges to development and democratic consolidation arise when partisan interests take precedence over the welfare of the people. If political parties fail to find common ground and instead resort to sabotaging each other, it poses a significant threat to the nation’s progress,” Venaani stressed.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency