Nudo has called on government to reconsider taking the food bank initiative to all 14 regions of the country suggesting it rather introduces the Basic Income Grant (BIG).
The party’s secretary-general Vetaruhe Kandorozu also questioned the capacity of the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare.
According to him, government must dump the food bank idea saying it is an unsustainable and very expensive exercise.
“Government must register all unemployed people from the age of 18 – 59 that earn less than N$500 a month and give them N$250 per month under a social community fund and do away with the construction of food banks,” he said.
According to Kandorozu, this will see a family of five collect N$1 250 which they can use to buy basic amenities such as solar panels for lights, corrugated iron for their roofs as well as other basic needs.
“We cannot demote our own citizens and electorate to a mere beggar that must wait for a food basket from government on a monthly basis which will not have all the nutritional values needed for a balanced diet,” he said.
According to him, the idea of a food bank will make Namibia a dumping site for genetically modified food items which are hazardous to the health of the people.
“Therefore, it is of paramount importance to unpack and remove the BIG from shelves and give it air to benefit ordinary citizens and add value to our economy as this money will circulate back into the economy,” said Kandorozu.
These remarks followed the launch of the country’s first ever food bank in Windhoek last week.
According to the poverty eradication minister Bishop Zephania Kameeta, government is in the process of expanding the banks to the regions, depending on the availability of land.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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