Yesterday, various news outlets reported that Namibia received a substantial donation from Qatar, aimed at providing drought relief. The aid package, consisting of 102 tons of food parcels—including maize meal, rice, tinned beef, cooking oil, and tinned tuna—responds to a call for assistance from the Namibian head of state.
However, the donation has sparked mixed reactions among Namibians, especially on social media. Many citizens expressed skepticism and concern over the necessity and implications of such aid, given Namibia's own natural resources.
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| Michael Amushelelo |
One prominent voice of dissent is Michael Amushelelo, who took to social media to question the motives behind Qatar's generosity. His Facebook post encapsulates the concerns shared by many Namibians:
"My fellow Namibians, sometimes we must honestly question the motives of this so called Aid. Instead of donating food worth N$1.3 billion why could Qatar not just donate boreholes worth that amount so that our people can have water in order to combat this drought. Qatar is not giving this food because they love us, it’s because they are the biggest current shareholders in our Oil."
Amushelelo further criticized the Namibian government's handling of the country's natural resources, pointing out that despite having ample resources like fish from the oceans and wildlife from Etosha, the government chooses to accept foreign aid rather than utilizing local resources to address the drought.
"When the late president Hage said the Oil is not ours, he meant it belongs to the Qataris, that’s why they had sponsored Hage to go watch the World Cup. This guys have so much money, they also bought Safari Hotel, however they are not investing money to make us economically independent, they want us to continue begging despite the fact that we have our natural resources."
Amushelelo's post suggests that the aid from Qatar is not a genuine act of goodwill but rather a strategic move tied to their economic interests in Namibia, particularly in the oil sector. He calls out the government for allowing the sale of the country's resources in exchange for food aid, implying that such transactions undermine Namibia's economic sovereignty and self-sufficiency.
"Why is the Namibian government not taking Fish from our oceans and animals in Etosha to feed our people? That’s because they want to continue selling our countries resources in this type of manner. This are not donations this a sale of our resources. Our country has enough resources, we should not even be begging for food to feed less than 3 million people, this is absolutely pathetic, this thieves must stop selling our country and it’s future for food."
The arrival of Qatar's drought relief donation has ignited a debate in Namibia about the country's reliance on foreign aid despite its rich natural resources. Michael Amushelelo's vocal criticism highlights a broader sentiment among Namibians who feel that the government's actions are compromising the nation's long-term economic independence. The controversy underscores the need for a more sustainable and self-reliant approach to addressing Namibia's challenges.