PDM MP advocates against long-distance marriages

• By Uaueza Kanguatjivi

PDM MP Hidipo Hamata says deploying spouses to various regions has far-reaching effects on communities and churches.
Hamata said parenting is a crucial duty of both parents and that the family unit also functions as a correctional institution.
Hamata further highlighted that finances play an important role in a family’s fulfilment of basic requirements and investments.
“The methods of creating and spending finances increase responsibilities such as maintaining two homes, which further strains the family finances and becomes a source of family conflicts. Inadequate resources may lead to spouses engaging in unconventional methods of obtaining funds, such as fraud, among other things,” he said.

He also expressed grave worry that certain deployments may be prompted by unethical motives, such as gaining inappropriate access to a subordinate’s spouse, which he described as a crime against humanity and the Constitution.
“In some instances, we have heard that some deployments occur because a senior person wants to have romantic access to the spouse of his subordinate, thus sending them to far-flung places.
“No matter how small the scale of these atrocities, society should no longer tolerate them. This is a crime against humanity, a criminal against the Constitution, a crime against the institution of marriage, and a crime against the institution of marriage itself,” he said.
According to Hamata, this is true for most Namibians, particularly those employed in banking, education, health, the judiciary, and safety and security sectors.
“Reassignment, along with the individual desire for self-improvement, drives people to travel to different towns or areas, resulting in long-distance marriages.
“The uniformed personnel, mostly defence and police forces and immigration officers on call, are the most frequently redeployed to other regions.

While age, personal circumstances, or years of service are not factors in redeployment, most of these officers are young persons with families.

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