I am a taxpaying and voting citizen

NAMIBIA CITIZEN, KATUTURA EAST CONSTITUENCY, WRITES:

I was among the first 10 people to show up around 07:30 at the constituency office to also collect my food parcel.

Around 10:00, when the 20kg of drought relief maize meal was eventually handed out, there were close to 200 people, all of us in need of food assistance. As was promised by the councillor, the food parcels were not available, and instead, we received maize meal. Two people had to share a bag. No sugar, no cooking oil for maize, which is of very low quality. I wonder whether the politicians, high-ranking officials, the rich, and bureaucrats have even tasted this product.

Is this the price we have to pay for queuing up for hours just to vote for people who don’t care? Is this the prize I have to pay for turning up very early at the constituency office and leaving behind people at home who cannot take care of themselves? Even if we had received the parcels, it would be two cups of flour, maize meal, macaroni, and sugar put in plastic bags.

That’s what I received the last two times I went to the constituency office to collect my food parcel. This process of food parcel distribution is totally unfair and non-transparent since some people are benefiting more than others. Why can’t the councillor and council employees work according to the list of voters in the constituency?

I believe there must be a voter registration list with names and identAity numbers. Or is this only needed when we are summoned by politicians to go stand for long hours in sometimes harsh weather conditions to register and again go back to vote? I am a regular voting and taxpaying citizen who is exercising my fundamental civil right by virtue of being a Namibian, but this right continues to be trampled upon by manipulative, uncaring, and non-truthful people who are handsomely rewarded by taxpayers’ money and the GDP created by Namibia’s natural wealth.

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