Africa-Press – Namibia. THE minister of fisheries Derek Klazen has urged fishing rights holders to invest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities that will lift people out of poverty.
The minister made the remarks during the closure of the three-day ministerial retreat that ended at Swakopmund on Friday. “To give people a few tins of fish, yes they need it, but then you think your CSR is over. No, we need to make an impact, a difference in changing people’s lives,” said Klazen.
The minister proposed projects such as drilling boreholes in villages with water scarcity. He added that the government does not expect everyone with a fishing right to invest in a vessel, but they can diversify their funds into economic activities that will stimulate other industries.
“Those are activities that add value to our people’s lives and we are seriously looking into that. To give N$100 000 of food, yes, but the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia is building houses for N$30 000-N$40 000. With that money, you could have built three houses. We want companies to look into projects that improve the lives of communities and lift them out of poverty,” said the minister.
CSR is part of the scorecard discussions, which were rolled over to another session scheduled for Windhoek. The minister lashed out at companies that are trying to change shareholders after fishing rights have been awarded. There have been a number of entities that have approached the ministry in an attempt to remove marginalised people, women, and people with disabilities as shareholders.
Klazen said delisting or removing a shareholder who was part of the company at the time of application without ministerial approval is in violation of the condition of granting the right. These groups form part of the requirements for applying for fishing rights.
“The minister is not going to tolerate people who list members as beneficiaries to obtain fishing rights and turn around and remove them without ministerial approval. That, in essence, could lead to the revocation of the entire right,” said Klazen.
