3 July 2009
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RECESSION? What recession?
It appears as if the City of Windhoek is not entertaining any thoughts of a recession this year; rather it seems that they want to party the recession, or at least the term recession, into oblivion.
The officials charged with the wellbeing of the capital city's residents have set aside N$1,4 million, overall, for entertainment, parties and festivals.
In addition, they will dish out N$1,5 million for "corporate wear".
No one begrudges anyone else a little fun, but the cloth must fit the cut.
In tough economic times, we all need to be prudent. On the one hand, the average ratepayer is already grappling with increases for services, on the other the poor face the eternal struggle to keep body and soul together.
Our City elders need to do some strenuous soul-searching if, as happened with Nero, they do not want to be accused of fiddling while Rome burned.
The City's CEO and his team of special executives, for example, get N$140 000 [of the N$1,4 million] for entertainment purposes.
In contrast, N$50 000 allocated for the city's poverty alleviation strategy has been scrapped, while N$47 000 has been set aside for the Katutura Old Age Home and N$80 000 for orphans and vulnerable children.
Added to this, socially important projects have been shelved.
Scrapped is the N$100 000 that was to be spent on establishing and upgrading playgrounds; scrapped is a healthcare risk waste disposal facility; scrapped are plans for the building and upgrading of cemeteries; scrapped is a road crossing device for the blind; scrapped is an upgrade of the Katutura Old Age Home; scrapped is a pollution prevention programme.
These are just a few of the projects that will fall by the wayside.
In unveiling this year's budget, Mayor Matheus Shikongo said resources are "even more constrained" this year.
Yes, times are tough, but it makes it all the more important to get our priorities right.
Can those charged with stewarding Windhoek's resources say, with a clear conscience, that they are setting standards to which the wise, honest and compassionate can repair?
At best maybe the drafters of this year's budget confused social events with social responsibilities.
A nation, a city, a community is judged on how treats its poor and its most vulnerable.
The City of Windhoek has come up scandalously short.
Bravo South Africa!
THE vuvuzelas may have fallen silent, but South Africa's performance as the host country of the Confederation Cup is still being talked about.
Naysayers who thought the tournament would be a shambles from start to end have been drowned out by the vuvuzela of all tournaments!
South Africa proved the pessimists wrong. They delivered a world-class tournament, an extravaganza of note.
Most important is the positive image of South Africa that was beamed around the world.
Passionate fans, good pitches, great matches and good organisation off the field.
Amidst the all too frequent gloom and doom associated with our beloved continent, let's not underestimate the value of good news out of Africa.
Undoubtedly there were hitches along the way - Fifa gave South Africa 8 out of 10 in terms of readiness and has urged the country not to become complacent, but to rather "do a little bit more".
But few will doubt - this time - that South Africa is on track to deliver a memorable World Cup and score another one for Africa.
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