By Eliaser Ndeyanale
DTA of Namibia Member of Parliament Vipuakuje Muharukua last Thursday called his fellow Members of Parliament “irresponsible”. His comment came shortly after Presidential Affairs Minister Frans Kapofi finished responding to questions posed to him by Muharukua.
The young MP asked Kapofi on the subject of the children of the struggle to which Kapofi responded that the matter should not be politicised and nobody should ‘play political football’ with it.
Muharukua who seemed to be on a war path said children of civilians who were caught in crossfire during the war of liberation should also be given jobs as it is the case with children whose parents died at the front. He also questioned if it was Government policy to avail jobs to certain people to the exclusion of others.
“In any war, there are always people who were caught in crossfire, what will happen to them and their children? You are calling us irresponsible but you are also irresponsible. Children who grew up without parents inside the country are also disadvantaged as those who were born in exile,” he said.
“There is one lie which is being said in this country, that this country is liberated through the level of the gun that is not true. People of my generation are informed, we read, we analyse and we make our own judgement,” he said.
The statement caused a stir in the National Assembly with some ruling party MPs labelling Muharukua immature – “a child who knows nothing about the war”.
Asked if it is Parliamentary for an MP to call others irresponsible, speaker Peter Katjavivi who chaired the debate refused to be drawn into the drama stating he could not remember such a remark being made in the house.
“I can’t remember … find out from the two members who called each other irresponsible, however, it is not good for any member to use such a word.”