Staff Reporter
THE Namibian Prime Minister, Dr Elijah Ngurare, in Parliament responded to heated questions by Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani on the issue of unhoused Angolan children who have become a prominent sight at different traffic lights throughout the country.
“Hon. Ministers, leaders of this country, why do you not behave like a party responsible for running the country? I say this with a lot of disgust in many of you. This country, Namibia, has never been a country of beggars. This country has a culture of not having our children begging on the streets. At every robot in this city, you see children as young as four or three years old begging under your watch. If you can’t handle four-year-olds, can you handle the issues of this country?” an irate Venaani posed.
Giving a response on the matter, Dr Ngurare assured Venaani that the Namibian government has the capacity to resolve the issue.
“The answer is yes. We have the capacity.
“We are dealing with it. How? That part you didn’t ask. The hon. brother here, who is an experienced politician, I think he knows the capacity of government is there. He gave a bit of Hollywood special effects. It’s a question he could address like an experienced politician. The capacity exists and we are handling this issue,” Dr Ngurare said.
He further noted that there are bilateral discussions underway between the Namibian and Angolan governments.
“The hon. member alluded to it; they were taken and came back. There are bilateral discussions underway. That conversation is continuing. We will present to you how far we have come,” Ngurare said.
UNHOUSED: The sight of Angolan children begging at traffic lights in Namibia has become a thorny issue, with concerns raised about the safety of minors, who are sometimes as young as three or four years old. Photo: Contributed.
