Staff Reporter
FORMER Chief of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) and member of the SWAPO Party Central Committee, General (retired) Martin Shali, said he has, since independence, applied more than a dozen times for a resettlement farm — which he said he qualifies for — but none of his applications has been approved so far.
The General made the revelation on Friday while addressing a SWAPO Party event in Omishe village in the Epembe constituency of Ohangwena, where he spoke about rampant corruption, nepotism, and favoritism in public offices, including in the allocation of land.
The Omishe event was organised belatedly to commemorate Heroes Day, which was marked on 26 August.
The veteran of the liberation struggle reminded the younger generation of the sacrifices made for the nation’s freedom, stressing the importance of economic emancipation, and urged them to study hard to become respected members of society by making positive contributions to their families and the nation at large.
He encouraged young people to pursue training in vocational fields that would enhance the country’s development.
Shali said the critical role of agriculture in ensuring food security and expressed disappointment about a number of failed green scheme projects.
“Namibians were put in charge of the green scheme projects,” he said. “And what happened? They ran them into the ground.”
Turning to the upcoming regional council and local authority elections, Shali warned his audience to beware of deception.
“Don’t let the opposition deceive you into voting for them. This is SWAPO Party territory,” he added, dismissing as false the notion that “people are tired of SWAPO.”
