Thread: Manifesto of the All People’s Party (APP

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For Fundamental Change and Just Wealth Redistribution: The Political and Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation Program and Manifesto of the All People’s Party (APP)

FOR REAL CHANGE AND JUST WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION

1. GENERAL BACKGROUND

Looking all over Sub-Saharan Africa, we can – with confidence and great certainty-conclude that the initial vision of Dr Kwame Nkrumah of “seize first the political kingdom and the rest shall be added onto…” have not materialized and benefited the vast majority of ordinary Africans.

Our sub-continent is currently the poorest part of the world. This is despite the fact that Africa is endowed with vast natural resources and human capital. The resources of our countries have continued, as was the case during the slave trade and colonialism, to be exploited for the benefit of the western countries through their multinational corporations whilst African talent have continued to migrate to Europe, the USA, Australia, and the late Middle East in search of greener pastures.

The least that can be said about Africa’s political independence for the past five decades of self rule and Namibia’s own independence is that political independence have managed to create a parasitic politico-economic elite instead of eliminating poverty, unemployment and curable diseases on our continent and empowering socio-economically our people and creating prosperous and just societies on our continent.

The African politico-economic elites, most of who are closely and opportunistically connected to the ruling parties, in cahoots with multinational corporations and con businessmen from all parts of the world have and continue to corruptly plunder and milk our countries’ resources dry and ransack state coffers in broad day light. These elites have changed nothing significant from the old state machinery which they inherited from the colonialists. They have continued business as usual from where the colonialist left us and have only perfected the art of corruption, plunder and repression of their own people. The central question of economic ownership of our natural resources and just wealth redistribution have never been attended to or addressed seriously. The economic status quo have been good for them t attempt to change it. Hence, control of the economy, have mainly remained in the hands of the multinational companies and a few of their politically well connected pseudo businessmen and political praise singers.

The vast majority of our people have continued and continue to languish in poverty, unemployment, underemployment and homelessness. They are afflicted by curable diseases which have already been eliminated in most parts of the world. This is the sad case and story of Sub Saharan Africa with its vast natural resources wealth today. This is happening despite new advances and progress in the socio economic and political arena taking place in the rest of the world.

The question remains, who is to blame for all this? Surely, we cannot continue to blame the colonialists and colonialism. Political and business leaders on our sub-continent must take responsibility and the blame for most of Sub Saharan Africa’s current tragic situation and lack of tangible/palpable sustainable socio-economic development.

Ordinary Africans need to stand together, if we are to stop this rampant looting and plunder of our resources by the multi nationals and their local cronies on both the political and economic front. We must put an immediate halt on it if our countries and their people are to enjoy the fruits of their vast natural resources, to create prosperity for all people and establish a just system with fair and equal opportunities for all citizens. What is needed now is action and not continued political rhetoric which does not practically change people’s lives tangibly!


2. THE NAMIBIAN STORY

On 21 March 1990, Namibia, like all former African colonies, obtained political independence after a protracted anti occupation and anti colonial struggle which spanned more than a century. The anti colonial resistance struggle took different forms and was fought at different levels of our society by different communities and political formations.

Namibians from all walks of life and from all communities participated in this struggle in different ways, forms in their various formations. The participation was determined by once’ material and social conditions and the situation in which one found him or herself, depending on the place and environment.

The last three decades before independence saw Namibians leave voluntarily abroad to fight for independence and freedom. The majority remained behind still continuing the struggle inside the country with fervor and determination. The two forces, those aboard and at home, continued to mutually reinforce and complement each other in their determination to free Namibian from the scourge of colonialism, apartheid and racist exploitation and oppression and to put an end to the reckless plunder by multinational companies of our natural resources.

At Independence, Namibia inherited a highly skewed, inequitable and lopsided economy. 5% of the population controlled the economy then. 19 years after independence only 10% of the population controls the commanding means of our economy. This is a meager 5% increase on the figure at independence. Indeed, what have emerged is the growth of greedy crony capitalism (GCP) fuelled and supported by the corrupt of government tenders/contracts to relatives, friends and those closely connected to senior ruling party politicians and other top government officials.

Today, our society’s imbalances are even more highly pronounced than ever before. Namibia now ranks amongst the infamous top most income unequal distribution societies in the world only topped by South Africa and Brazil.

There is surely no denying that we have made strides and progress since independence at various fronts. But the progress made is obliterated by the many other important issues at various fronts that we have been unable to address which affects the majority of ordinary men and women, households and key institutions of our society on a daily basis. The non action on these issues will affect our country and the majority of its people for many generations to come unless acted upon now with immediate urgency, total commitment, selfless dedication and visionary foresight.

The number of people living below poverty is higher. Unemployment is at a staggering 37% population. Annual qualification for students to enter our own UNAM and Polytechnic of Namibia is below 3000 students out of more than 20000 students who sit for the grade 12 final school leaving exams over the past 10 years. Out of close to 25 000 learners (teenagers!!!) who sit for the grade 10 junior secondary school exams, less than half are able to proceed to grade 11 and are thrown out on the streets every year without any hope. Teachers are underpaid and have no motivation to upgrade their qualifications as a result of the government’s policy of non recognition of further education. Our hospitals over the country do not have the necessary medicines, whilst the standards at the hospitals have collapsed and nurses are underpaid. Housing have become a crisis as witnessed by the sprawling squatter camps all over the country, whilst unnecessary foreclose have become a daily occurrence further depriving the few who have houses of their very right to shelter.

The economy remains firmly in the hands of those who previously benefitted during apartheid colonialism (whites and blacks) and the foreign multi nationals who were in charge during apartheid colonialism and their new local elite agents who are closely connected to politicians in the ruling party. There have not been any departure/break from the past socio-economic inequities. The majority of our people remain on the fringes of the mainstream of our country’s economy. People have not all benefitted from the economic growth for the past 19 years of our country’s political independence. The old parliamentary political parties have totally failed the majority of our people just as it has been the case from many years all over Africa.


3. THE ALL PEOPLES’S PARTY (APP) AND ITS POLITICAL PROGRAM

It is against the above background and the background of the total failure of the old parliamentary political parties in our country to address resolutely the economic question that the All Peoples Party (APP) coming into existence on the Namibian political scene must be viewed. It is our desire and yearning for genuine fundamental change and just wealth thredistribution in Namibia that have moved us to act and create a real change vehicle, The All People’s Party (APP). The All People’s Party (APP) was founded by idealist but visionary young women and men from all old major Namibian Parliamentary Parties on the 14 December 2007.

Our resolve is to courageously and energetically address the central question of our current historical time, JUST WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION AND FAIR AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL NAMIBIANS. This we believe can only be brought by a total change and departure from the current business as usual approach to the way our country is governed.

This will need a complete departure from the current politics of exclusion, fear, marginalization, hate speeches, insults, blaming each other and counter accusations to the new politics of inclusion, togetherness, openness, non partisanship, real participatory democracy and mutual respect of each others’ as Namibians and cooperation in our ideological, political, cultural, racial, ethnic, tribal and religious diversity, committed to building our country and taking it forward to greater heights from our people.
To this end, we are committed and shall endeavor to achieve the following for our party, country and all its people in order to socio-economically empower our people and our communities, eradicate poverty and homelessness and radically reduce the unemployment level in the shortest time possible:-


4. THE POLITICAL AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL-ECONOMIC TRANSORMATION PROGRAM (PSETP) OF THE ALL PEOPLE’S POLITICAL PARTY (APP)

4.1. BUILDING THE ALL PEOPLE’S POLITICAL PARTY INTO A STRONG UNIFYING NATIONAL POLICIAL MOVEMENT

Our first biggest task and challenge is to organize and mobilize people and build/establish the APP countrywide with the view to participating and in winning elections and being able to form government, assume state authority and use it to affect genuine fundamental transformation/change at all fronts and levels of our society.

The party that we build must be an all inclusive movement of disciplined, conscientious, hardworking, selfless, exemplary, incorruptible, honest and humble women and men who are ready and committed to be servants of our of people and country. It must be a party where all Namibians of all social, ethnical, tribal, racial and religious faiths or background must feel comfortable, welcome and at home!

We must build a party of participatory democracy, openness, accountability and transparency. A party where members and people at large are fee to speak up their mind on all national issues and topics and openly criticize anything which is wrong including the leadership of the party and of its government without fear of negative consequences to them individually or their families/relatives.

We must build a party that values, cherishes and defends at all times multi party democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. APP is the party that values and promotes both our political and cultural diversity and Namibian patriotism irrespective of one’s political and ideological orientation or racial, ethical or regional origin.


4.2. CHANGE POLITICS FOR OUR COUNTRY AND PEOPLE

Once elected to govern, the All People’s Party will move fast to effect political change which will ensure that politicians and political parties are held accountable both as individuals and their collectives as leaders of political parties at all levels in their political actuation.

We will move immediately to work with everyone in the country (all political partiesparliamentary and non-parliamentary, NGO, all churches and all traditional leaders) to get things done for our country and its people in a non partisan and non discriminatory way.

We will move boldly to transform the current liberal state into a strong national democratic, development state which will put people at the centre of development and ensure that priority national developmental projects are carried out much faster and not left to the whims of foreign private investors and their local agents (corporate or individual).

We will act to ensure that Governors of Regions and the Mayors of the big towns are directly elected by all people in the regions or municipal /towns areas that she/he represent and that she/he is vested with executive power in managing the affairs of the region or town of which she/he is the head of. We will ensure that there are term limitations at all levels of elective offices.
Ensure that debates in our parliament are of high standard and are exemplary. That debates focus on important national issues and not on personalities or unnecessary petty political point scoring. We will also review the suitability of the current parliamentary set-up with the eye to combining the two chambers into one without losing the concept of regional representation in the parliament.

Bring new faces, new people, new ideas and a new spirit to our national, regional and local political and economic platforms ready to radically transform our nation and country to the benefit of all Namibians. We will depoliticize the appointment of senior public servants and make sure that each and every Namibian irrespective of political affiliation gets a fair chance to compete for positions within the Namibian civil service.

Consult annually with the civil society and other stakeholder on a national level to discuss issues of national importance as part of the budgeting process. All stakeholders from all sectors, regions, NGO’s, Government Ministries and Agencies shall be represented!! Guiding resolutions for the state.

Attack corruption in a way that has not been seen hitherto by appointing men and women who have served our judiciary with distinction to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and also strengthening the ACC legislation. We will establish a special tribunal on corruption to be served by retired judges to hear corruption cases on a swift way that will ensure that cases are handled much faster and culprits are dealt with swiftly without delay. This will also help to decongest our ordinary courts.
We will make sure that all major corruption cases which have been put under the carpet by the current government are opened, re-investigated and culprits taken to task irrespective of their social or political status. We will also make sure that the state confiscates the properties of offenders to not allow criminals to benefit from ill gotten public goods. Trust for communities review.

We will streamline and cut the size of the current cabinet to an acceptable and manageable level in line with our country’s population and status as a small developing country.


4.3. ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION /CHANGE

Economic transformation is central to our key objective of just/fair wealth redistribution. It is, together with educational and training, key to ensuring the creation of equal opportunities for all our citizens and the creation of a just and prosperous society, the elimination of poverty, reduction of unemployment elimination of underemployment, elimination of homelessness and for our nation to reaffirm its sovereignty and self reliance.

The All People’s Party will make economic transformation one of its top governance priorities until the democratization of the economy is achieved through broad based economic empowerment of all our citizens irrespective of race or socio economic status. This we intend to do by carrying out the following transformation tasks of our Economy:-

- Engaging all multinational companies (MNC’s) and national companies which are currently operating in Namibia and involved in the exploitation of our mineral, marine and other natural resources with the view of negotiating a fair deal for Namibia and Namibians in order to allow for the participation of Namibian community (village, town or regional) trusts, workers trust and groups of up and coming individual Namibia entrepreneurs to own shares in those companies;
- Unbundle some profit generating state owned enterprises with the view to allowing limited participation by identified poor communities, employees/workers and private individual entrepreneurs with the state still maintaining majority shareholding in these enterprises and at the same time guaranteeing job security for current employees;
- Streamline and reform the various state institutions which provide financing to various target groups inter alia Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), the Small Business Credit Guarantee Trust Scheme (SBCTGTC). The National Youth Council’s Financial Grant Scheme (NYC), the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) and AgriBank, etc, the view to harmonizing and amalgamating them and creating a one stop non commercial National Development and Investment Promotion Centre with various departments dedicated to certain specific sectoral development programmes which are currently being implemented by the above state institutions. We shall put a capping on the out of proportion salaries of all COE’s. General Managers and other Senior Managers of all state owned enterprises;
- Strictly requiring foreign companies tendering for all government tenders to have at least a minimum of 45% Namibian broad based partnership whilst compelling local companies to have at least 50% shareholding which involves real verifiable marginalized, poor communities’ and workers’ trust.
- Review all mining and fishing licenses, rights and concessions which have been allocated since independence and tear real ownership structures with a view to rectify any abnormalities in the licensing and allocation process and to enable real broad based participation by all formally disadvantaged communities and persons.
- Review and transform the financial institutions (banks, building societies, insurance companies and cash loans), and oblige them to fund sports, cultural, social and other community activities and have housing allowances as part and parcel of their social and community responsibility and ensuring the wellness of their workers.


4.4 POVERTY ERADICATION

It is our strong and firm believe that we as a nation can eradicate poverty in Namibia within a five year period. Hence the APP believe that the state must do all it can and put the necessary financial resources in eradicating poverty.

An APP administration will Spend three billion Namibia dollars annually on a Basic Poor Household income grant (BPHIG) to tackle poverty head on. The allocation will help about 100 000 poor households and help about 500 000 individuals to escape the poverty trap.


4.5. AN AGRICULTURAL AND GREEN REVOLUTION

Agriculture is the backbone of most developing countries. Currently, thousands of people are employed as laborers in the Agricultural sector and put it on a much higher production level to ensure efficiency and high output that will guarantee food security four our country and ensure a degree of food self sufficiency and households

To this end we shall take the following measures:-.


4.5.1. ESTABLISHING MAJOR AGRICUTURAL PROJECTS

We will go out of our way to ensure that the Caprivi, Kunene and Karas regions and the Otavi, Tsumeb and Grootfontein maize triangle and around our country’s big dams where water is found are given higher priority in developing our country’s horticulture sector and ensure that the areas indeed become in real net terms the food basket of our nation. We shall revive and activate all agricultural projects which have been abandoned and neglected by the present government and make sure that they are once again productive and employ many of our people. We shall also identify and support new bigger projects that will contribute to agricultural diversification. We will also make sure that research is stepped up in order to help the process of agricultural diversification.

It shall be our goal to make sure that any piece of arable land is used to the maximum. We shall make sure that farmers are taught new skills and equipped with the latest technologies through agricultural subsidies in order for them to be able to produce quality products for both domestic consumption and export on a bigger scale. We will financially support and encourage the planting of jatropha, moringa, and other green energy plants throughout the country to create jobs.

We shall ensure that communal areas are divided in agro-villages and that each agro-village is provided and equipped by the state with al needed modern agricultural facilities/implements and technology which will help them to more productive.


4.5.2. BASIC AGRICULTURE FOR ALL

It is our goal to make ensure household food security. Our philosophy is to involve everyone in one way or the other to do agricultural as a productive hobby. Hence agricultural science shall be taught as a subject in all schools and grades. We shall encourage individual households in both in both urban and rural areas and schools, churches, hospitals and clinics to have their own small gardening projects and plant fruit and other viable trees.

The state shall endeavour to provide the necessary quality seeds and fertilizers to those households who initially may not be able to afford it. Households, cattle and game farmers and lodges shall be encouraged to plant fruit trees and have gardens in their yards and around their houses and for those living in towns with little space, the answer will be to encourage them to venture in agronomics. All this measure will require that those involved must be able to harvest rain water in addition to the water which currently is used.

Each poor rural household shall initially be provided – once of which dairy cattle for their milk needs, small stock, chicken and other poultry such as guinea fowls and ducks which can be domesticated to rear and guarantee their household food security.


4.5.3. SUPPORTING AND BROADENING THE CATTLE AND GAME FARMING SECTOR

Research and development key to the sustenance of this sector. Activate the research centers which have been left dormant after independence. Ensure the best breeding of cattle. Ensure the elimination of diseases both in the communal and rural areas. Speedily move the red line northwards to ensure that people in all the Northern regions bordering with Angola and Zambia benefit from the sale and export of their cattle and meat products. Encourage farmers in the communal areas t also farm with game. We shall also provide stare veterinary services to those in need.

Need to guarantee job and tenure security on farms of workers and their family, whilst at the same time encouraging the workers to have their cattle, poultry and small gardens around their compounds. Provide tax relieve to farmers who are successful and who demonstrate a clear commitment to the empowerment of workers by giving them shareholding in the farm and providing them with decent housing on the farm.

The state shall work hard to research and find markets for our cattle and game products in other markets around the world, focusing on the Middle East, Asia and other needy African countries.


4.5.4. AQUACULTURE AND MARINE DEVELOPMENT AND POPULARIZATION

We shall encourage and financially support the speedy development of this sector through encouraging of the development of both cooperatives and individual private entrepreneurship. We will make sure that our coastal areas and the perennial rivers alongside our borders are turned into farms to grow all types of fish and marine species that can be farmed with on a commercial basis for both domestic consumption and export to foreign markets. Each community living by a sustainable source of water should have an aquaculture farm, farming with different high value commercial and profitable species which can be exported to different markets around the world within a period of five years by developing the streams and rivulets into sustainable productive fish farm ponds.

The All People’s Party will strongly support the development f commercial crocodile farms alongside our rivers and empower financially the villagers living alongside our rivers.

We will also ensure that all fish and fish products are priced fairly for the local market. There is no way in which we can be a net exporter of fish products yet the local price of both fish and meat is very high.


4.5.5. LOCAL INVESTMENT PROMOTION

Giving the high levels of profit turn over in the tourism sector, and the vast potential for further expansion of the sector. The All People’s Party will work towards the speedy diversification of the sector and the active participation and integration of the majority of our people in the tourism industry by facilitation financing that will enable them to set up the necessary facilities and infrastructure as tourist entrepreneurs in their own right or as cooperatives.

We will also work hard together with stakeholders in the sector to promote both eco and cultural tourism. We will revisit and reform the pricing structures of especially the state resorts and parks with the view to making the prices affordable for local tourists (citizens) and encourage citizens to tour around their country and get to enjoy and know it better.


5. TRADE DIVERSIFICATION AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION

Ensuring trade diversification is of crucial importance for any developing nation. We will endeavor to, in a short period of time, diversify our country’s export and import sources. Since we have a small domestic market, we will need to encourage our businesses to produce products of superior quality for the export market. We shall launch a superior marketing strategy internationally in order to achieve our goal, by engaging both national and international experts in marketing in order to allow our products to flow in different directions of the globe. We shall target the Middle East and Asian markets in particular as priority area for our products.

We shall also continue to promote both local and foreign private investments in our economy. However, we shall also create an investment institution which shall dedicate itself to advising and encouraging Namibian private businesses and state owned enterprises to invest in profitable companies abroad. We shall enlist both local and international experts in investment to advise us on the best way to go about it.


6. TRANSFORMATION OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

On local shore, we will launch a transformation of the financial sector. This will entail requiring at least 45% shareholding of all financial institutions operative in Namibia by Namibians. Whilst new financial institutions will have to be 51% Namibian owned.
We will also review the fee structures charged by all banks and finance lending institutions in order to ensure that they are fair and affordable.

We will review and negotiate the reduction of the repayment period for home loans and other fixed assets from the current 30 years period to a lesser period whilst guaranteeing affordable repayment amounts in order to ensure real ownership of assets by our people.

The All People’s Party will declare a moratorium on all property foreclosure and the repossession of people’s private assets by financial institutions and other companies. The exemption shall be serious cases where liquidation, insolvency or having acquired the assets/property corruptly in the case.

The All People’s Party will negotiate for the cancellation of all debt owed by low and middle income earning individuals and small enterprises with financial institutions, municipalities, towns and village councils in order to allow people a new start.
We shall review and reform the credit act and the interest charged on the purchase of goods on credit with the view to cutting down on the overcharging on interest of hire purchase goods.

We will reform the tax system and cut down on taxes for low and middle income groups and also for the small and medium enterprise businesses taxable bracket to be raised to N$55 000, whilst increasing taxes on luxuries and tightening the net on all tax evaders and ensure that all citizens, personal or corporate pay their due to the state. To this end, the All People’s Party will establish an independent Revenue Collection Institute, which shall be empowered to collect ALL taxes for the treasury.


7. DECENT HOUSING FOR ALL

The All People’s Party regards housing as a basic right for all Namibians. Hence we shall make sure that we take drastic measures to ensure that Namibians have access to decent housing. In order to realize this right, the All People’s Party will take the following steps-

- The All People’s Party will take speedy action to do away with squatter areas around all towns countrywide. We shall build apartments and other types of affordable shelters within a period of five years to replace the squatter camps. We commit to spend N$1 Billion every year on building descent and affordable houses countrywide;
- We shall promote real home ownership, by negotiating with the banks to cut down the repayment period for home loans to a shorter period without putting the financial sector at risk;
- We will promote the use of local building materials in building affordable houses for our people without destroying our environment;
- Benefit for all low earning public servants to build affordable quality houses in all regions! Civil servants Parks!!!
- Public Housing Scheme for the poor, some housing complexes!!;
- We shall hand over all National Housing Enterprise, Municipal, Towns and Village Council houses to their current owners and cancel financial obligations by the occupants in terms of any money due to them;
- The All People’s Party will also promote the building of quality decent houses in the rural areas making use of local materials;
- Promote the beatification of all our towns and villages and making sure that Namibian towns becomes the cleanest in Southern Africa and Africa as a whole.


8. QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL NAMIBIAN CHILDREN

Our goal is to make sure that our children receiving state education receives quality education that will make them more competitive and allow them to go to any university or tertiary educational institution in the world or be employable anywhere in the world.

To this end the All People’s Party will implement the following measures to turn around the current situation:-
- Implement real free and compulsory education for all children from primary school up to first undergraduate university, college or technicon level degree or diploma;
- Make repetition of higher secondary grades (grades 10 and 12) automatic at least once;
- We will expand and establish more vocation and technical training institutions in each and every region of our country;
- We will establish more agricultural colleges around the country;
- Return science and mathematics teachers and lecturers who are retired but who are still fit for service to help with teaching;
- Make sure that all children are taught all core subjects (at least three languages, mathematics, agriculture and environmental studies, business studies, accounting, science and information technology etc.) from primary up to secondary school in order to allow them broader knowledge and choice in the world;
- Make sure that all schools have a fully operational in information technology communication (ITC) centre to enable our youth to master ITC and make sure that our school leavers are knowledgeable in this area so that they can ably help to contribute to economic development and be employable everywhere and anywhere;
- Make sure specialists in fields such as accounting, information, technology, science, mathematics etc. in various communities renders community service after hours, during weekends and school weekends and school holidays to tutor our less privileged children to master these subjects and provide tax incentives to them;
- Ensure that all Namibian schools are equipped with information technology and communication equipments to enable them to learn from each other, but also ensure that all our children leave school well equipped to go into the modern work world;
- Ensure the proper re grading and recognition of all qualifications obtained by Namibians before and shortly after independence in the former East block countries of Eastern Europe and Cuba


9. QUALITY HEALTH FOR ALL

We will ensure the immediate reversal of the dilapidated situation in which all our state hospitals and clinics are finding themselves whilst at the same time making sure that each village must have a fully operational and well equipped and properly staffed clinic.

We will ensure the mass training of nurses and other medical practitioners funded by government to ensure proper staffing in the future. Pay for health professionals!!

We will request for now, retired professional nurses and doctors who are still fit to work, to help out at clinics as a transitional measure.

We will strengthen primary health care and make sure that prevention of diseases is given top priority in our health system.

We will revamp and expand the decadent ambulance system and make sure that each and every health district have ambulances in a fully functional state and well equipped to handle emergencies.

We will make sure that all companies, without any exemption, have adequate health care coverage for their workers.


10. SECURING OUR COUNTRY’S FUTURE

10.1. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT

The All People’s Party having its origins amongst young people, will make sure that the all round development (education, sports, culture, arts and business entrepreneurship) of our youth is put higher on the development agenda of government.
We will upgrade the Ministry from its current negligible junior status to a higher status in government.

The youth shall not only be regarded as future leaders, but shall in an All People’s Party government be crucial and central to our country’s immediate development goals and progress agenda. The youth shall assume immediate key responsibilities and roles in politics, state administration and national development projects.

We will also make sure that we support all the young people who want to go and work abroad on all programs by giving them necessary security with Namibian financial institutions which families might not be able to afford for them to pick up international experience and at the same time earn an income for themselves and their families.

Develop and implement a youth support program, together with all stakeholders in the industry, for the active promotion of young musicians and other creative artist in order to help propel our music and other creative arts to much greater heights both locally and internationally

Send annually a minimum of 500 students abroad for university, vocational and other further technical studies from our own resources. FOR THE ALL PEOPLE’S PARTY, THE YOUTH IS OUR COUNTRY’S PRECIOUS AND PREMIUM INSURANCE FOR OUR FUTURE, THUS YOUNG PEOPLE MUST COUNT NOW AND NOT LATER!!!


10.2. REFORMING AND TRANSFORMING OUR SECURITY INSTITUTIONS

THE All People’s Party will make sure that our security institutions are reviewed and reformed to reflect the whole Namibian population in its top and middle management structures.

We will make sure that no one in those institutions are marginalized in terms of promotion, because of their historic past (PLAN, SWATF, SWAPOL, KOEVOET ETC, ETC.), or ethnical, tribal or racial background. Benefits that takes into account past histories shall be given to all of them equally without discrimination, as a continuation of the policy of national reconciliation and integration which was applied at independence.

We shall establish an independent security commission made up of national security experts to evaluate and vet senior appointment to the police, the army and navy and the prison’s service in order to ensure an all inclusive and balanced structuring of our country’s security forces.

We shall ensure that the entrance level salary of security officers is equivalent to that of a constable for all security officers. Close most companies and integrate them in the police, prison and military service.

We will also immediately review the current poor pay structure of the security forces.

We will review, reform and transform the current private security businesses with the view of integrating the majority of them in the national police and defense force and the prison service. We cannot afford to have many private armies around.


10.3. AN ACTIVE AND INTEGRAL PART OF THE WORLD

Namibia is a paid up member of all international organizations (UN, AU, SADC AND SACU). Our citizens must participate and also be employed in all this institutions. We will need to have all our quotas filled in terms of staffing requirement as per the agreements of the said institutions. In this regard we will make sure that all qualified and professional Namibians, irrespective of their political affiliation, ethnic and racial origin shall be recommended by our Foreign Ministry to take up positions in these international organizations.

We shall also make sure that we engage the Africa Arab world, the Middle East and Asia as part of our development strategy, but also the diversification of our markets through the establishment of Namibian embassies in those areas and promoting cultural and commercial exchange.

We shall also make sure that our country is an active pusher of democracy on the continent and shall not allow or recognize any dictatorship or one men rule in any form on our continent.

We shall actively support our Palestinian brothers and sisters’ struggle for the creation of an Independent Palestinian state. We will also actively support the people of Western Sahara’s struggle for self determination and independence from Morocco.
We shall actively and strongly support and defend the right of all nations to develop and harness nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes. We will also develop our own nuclear power plants as part and parcel of our Green energy efforts.


11. WORLD QUALITY SPORTS AND CULTURE FOR ALL

The All People’s Party will make sure that more funds are availed to all the sporting codes and to athletes in the country then what is currently happening. We will ensure that a national sports training academy is established were we will be able to train our sports men and women to excel at international platforms such as the Olympics, the various sports world international events (soccer, rugby, tennis, golf etc.) We will make sure that our sports men and women are well taken care of by making sure that effective and efficient administrators who know and are professionals of the various sports codes to run the administration of our sports codes effectively and efficiently at all times.

We shall with the cooperation of soccer, rugby and boxing fraternity discuss and look at the possibility of establishing semi professional leagues in our country for the three popular sport codes in our society.

We shall also establish a standing program for the identification of raw sport’s talent and their targeted development at local levels, particularly in the rural areas.

An All People’s Party led government shall put aside each and every year half a billion Namibian dollars for the promotion of sports countrywide in order to prepare and allow our athletes to compete competitively at international level.
We shall establish world quality music recording studios in all regions so that all artists, young and old can have access to cultural upliftment.


12. GENDER EQUALITY AT ALL LEVELS

The All People’s Party is for total gender equality. 50/50 indecision making structures must become a reality in our lifetime. The All People’s Party will make sure that for any minister that is of a sex the deputy shall be of another sex. We will also make sure that this applied to the whole public service at the management cadre level and for all positions at state owned enterprises, at municipal, town council and village council levels. We shall also offer incentives to those private companies who implement the 50/50 policy in their establishments.

The All People’s Party will also make sure that there are tax incentives for people who employ domestic workers in order to ensure working women do not have to suffer when they have small children.


13. LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Our position on the land issue is to make sure that we fast track land reform countrywide by making money available for land reform. We will endeavor to make sure that land reform and resettlement is completed within a ten year period by working very closely with all stakeholders.

We will make sure that the ones who need land most are the beneficiaries. People with a passion to farm will enjoy top priority instead of weekends/holidays hobby farmers

We will also make sure that those whose land was taken away (Hereros, Nama/Damara and the San people), the land which currently forms what is known as the commercial farm land south of the red line, and current farm workers are put on the top of the priority of the resettlement list.

The All People’s Party will also make sure that land in the current communal areas is properly demarcated and registered and owners are given valid non transferable title deeds which can be used as security with financial institutions.
Rural development and modernization, shall amongst one the All People’s Party’s top priorities and we shall make sure that all the wild resources in those areas are developed, packed modernly and made available commercially.


14. SUPPORT FOR THE HERERO/NAMA/DAMARA/HEIKOM/SAN/BASTER AND GERMAN REPARATIONS

The All People’s Party fully supports the demand of the Herero and Nama/Damara communities for reparations. Should we take over government, the All People’s Party will ensure that government supports officially the demands of these communities and make formal presentations to the German government.

We shall designate an institution/agency in government (in the Presidency) to be the contact/liaison point in the search for an amicable solution to this historic injustice against our people.

We will also make sure that all traditional leaders elected/appointed by their communities countrywide will have automatic recognition by the government of the day and all traditional leaders shall be treated equally and with full respect by all public servants


15. CHURCH, STATE AND SOCIETY

Namibia being 95% Christian with the remaining belonging to other religions and faiths need to make use of this strength for both its development goals and its spiritual and moral regeneration as a country and society.

Though adhering to the secular nature of the state, government must find ways and means to strengthen the foundation of our country’s spiritual and moral institutions by finding ways on how we can cooperate and empower them to carry out their work in society without having to depend on donations from their mother churches or charity organizations from abroad. This also applies to having to look on how to locally assist and cooperate with development orientated local NGO’s and civic organizations in order to make them effective and efficient in the implementation of development projects.

The All People’s Party’ s point of departure is that we need each and every Namibian to make a contribution in his/her own best way possible and in the field that each and everyone of us is better equipped in. We need to all of us focus our energy and use it positively to develop our country from a third world developing country to a first world country. If we are to do this we need to leapfrog our development initiative and push resolvedly together in order to succeed.

Our country need all of us to work together positively. Together we can make the change that we can believe and trust in!!!


18. CONCLUSION

This is why we are appealing for you to vote for us!!!