Namibia Embassy Berlin -
Regierungsmitteilungen
Pohamba promises more jobs in 2013
Pohamba, whose government is battling unemployment that currently stands at 51%, said during his New Year message that government is fully aware of the difficult conditions facing its people as a result of economic hardships.
“We will, therefore, continue to work hard and more innovatively to combat the high rate of unemployment and to address the negative impact of poverty on our society,” the president said.
He noted that the government will also continue to insist on better and more effective co-ordination amongst government offices, ministries and agencies, to ensure full implementation of Cabinet decisions aimed at improving the living conditions of the people.
In this manner, the Head of State said, they can avoid duplication of efforts and ensure the prudent utilisation of the available public resources. He called on the nation to rededicate itself to the ethic of hard work in all it does.
“Whether we are subsistence farmers cultivating the fields, whether we are employed in the public or private sectors, whether we are self-employed, we all must work hard and strive to do the best at all best,” he said, adding that this is the only way Namibian will overcome the challenges facing their communities.
The president noted that good progress was recorded in the provision of health care, education, housing, sanitation and electricity. Social support services were expanded to benefit more veterans of the liberation struggle, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, orphans and vulnerable children, the president said. Additionally, socio-economic development initiatives have placed specific focus on addressing the plight of the people in rural areas and informal settlements, especially the access to affordable land for housing, Pohamba recalled.
“Our nation must hold hands and march forward together, with the aim of further consolidating peace and stability in our country.” “None should be left behind, as we continue to build a better and inclusive society, where each citizen feels a sense of belonging.
Let us learn from the lessons of the past and make use of the opportunities that the new year will bring,” he said.
WINDHOEK – Political commentators and analysts have welcomed the Cabinet reshuffle, which is President Hifikepunye Pohamba’s first major Cabinet reshuffle, saying it is underpinned by logic and that the changes are long overdue.
The Executive Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and political commentator, Graham Hopwood, says the reshuffle is logical seeing that experienced members would apply their expertise in their new portfolios.
Hopwood points at the redeployment of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Utoni Nujoma to the Ministry of Justice as logical appointments.
Nandi-Ndaitwah has the relevant experience as a former foreign affairs deputy minister, while Nujoma is a lawyer by training, said Hopwood.
Hopwood was not sure about the redeployment of Prime Minister Nahas Angula to the Ministry of Defence, a post that until now has never been occupied by a non-military person. “Angula is known as an education expert, however it is not bad to have a civilian in charge of defence,” said Hopwood, who expressed reservations about moving Rt Major General Charles Namoloh to the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development.
“Calle Schlettwein’s redeployment from being Deputy Minister of Finance to Minister of Trade and Industry is relevant given his financial expertise,” said Hopwood. The University of Namibia’s Dr Hoze Riruako said moving Dr Hage Geingob back to his first job of Prime Minister would allow him to put his considerable administrative skills to good use. Riruako points back to the era when Geingob was the country’s first prime minister.
“Geingob is a shrewd administrator with the requisite skills and has academic qualifications as a PhD holder in public administration,” explained Riruako, adding that this is an opportune time for Geingob to use his experience and skills to full advantage.
Riruako hopes that moving Geingob back to the Office of the Prime Minister could shape up the country’s public administration, and ensure that the country implements policy decisions such as on decentralisation and the performance management systems that were taken in the early 1990s.
“Namibia has failed to put in place monitoring instruments to gauge the effectiveness of policy decisions,” said Riruako, adding that Geingob should put in place implementation, monitoring and evaluation systems to be rolled out throughout all government ministries and see to it that strategic plans are fully implemented.
Pohamba said he decided to redeploy and appoint new members to Cabinet to ensure that Cabinet adopts the Swapo Party Congress resolutions speedily, as government programmes that require implementation without delay.
click here for the official Statement from the President of the Republic of Namibia, H.E. Hifikepunye Pohamba
… much stronger, non-tribal ruling party - analysts
WINDHOEK – Dr Hage Geingob retained his position as Swapo Party vice-president after securing 312 votes, ahead of fellow candidates Jerry Ekandjo who got 220 votes and Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana who secured 64 votes.
Elections at the Swapo Party Congress that started on Thursday last week began in the early hours of Sunday. At 06:00 prominent Namibian lawyer Sisa Namandje announced the results, to the eruption of applause and dancing by delegates inside the Safari Hotel conference hall and the outside crowd that waited patiently for the results to be announced. About 596 delegates voted.
President Hifikepunye Pohamba retained his position as Swapo Party president after he stood unchallenged. The position of secretary general went to Minister of Safety and Security, Nangolo Mbumba, who managed 352 votes against Utoni Nujoma’s 244 votes. Omaheke Regional Governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua was elected the deputy secretary general.
McLeod-Katjirua is now the only female in the top-four structure of the party after scoring 300 votes over Dr Abraham Iyambo, the Minister of Education, who garnered 285 votes.
“We have won. All of us in the Swapo Party have won. There are no losers here, only winners. We must therefore all rejoice in the victory of others, as we are all children of the same mother,” said a jubilant Pohamba immediately after the announcement of the results.
A couple of hours later at the Swapo Party headquarters Geingob gave his first press conference as re-elected vice-president, pledging to work with both Ekandjo and Iivula-Ithana. “I told Iivula-Ithana when she came to congratulate me that she will not be left out in the cold outside. We will be together. Ekandjo said he will support me,” Geingob indicated.
Ekandjo congratulated Geingob saying: “We are very much happy with the new leadership - the top four. We are very confident in them and we are proud of them, it’s a victory for Swapo and Namibians. We emerged more united than before, so we are very much happy. We will implement what the president has emphasised on unity. We will give them full support.”
Agriculture minister John Mutorwa said the “outcome reflects the will of the people, which is good for the country and democracy.”
Fisheries minister Bernard Esau described the congress and the elections as “democracy at its best. The people have decided, they have expressed their wish that come 2014 where we are headed. The congress was excellent.”
Pohamba also paid special tribute to McLeod-Katjirua, the only woman amongst the top four leadership of the party. “We have planned well and I am glad. Let us now face the future with renewed commitment to unity of purpose as we continue witnessing the maturity of our party’s democracy,” said Pohamba when closing the congress.
Geingob thanked Pohamba calling him a “silent giant”, and founding president Sam Nujoma, for his win. “I am here today because of [Sam] Nujoma who made me vice-president of the party,” he said.
“I have won with 110 percent. You have worked very hard in all regions, especially the northern regions, a sign that debunked the question of tribalism of an Oshiwambo-speaking president. This victory came about because of the four northern regions. You all played a role. We are not here because we won the war. The war was not about opposition; it is just that we have proven that there is strong internal democracy in the party. We should start implementing and not attack and sabotage one another. That will not work in the Swapo Party. We have unity and peace in the party,” Geingob said.
Local political analysts have described the outcome of the congress as a sign of a much stronger ruling party with no tribal lines and a political party that has embraced diversity. “Unless something major happens, the Swapo Party has emerged stronger than before,” was the opinion of leading political academic Phanuel Kaapama of the University of Namibia.
Graham Hopwood, local political commentator with the Institute of Public Policy Research said the outcome also indicates diversity in the ruling party, even though the results did not reflect well on gender balance.
Dr Andrew Nikondo, a leading academic at the Polytechnic of Namibia said the outcome of the Swapo Party congress is a testament to the fact that “Swapo is not a tribal party but a Namibian party.”
Hopwood further said the outcome is an indication that most party activists do not share the “radical agenda” of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL). “What is not clear at this stage is how the outcome would influence policy formation,” remarked Hopwood. Kaapama commended the “bottom-up approach” in choosing candidates. “Candidates were not only from the Politburo but from below,” Kaapama remarked, and added: “Many people thought and rightly so that Swapo was being put to a much bigger test. But, Swapo can emerge stronger than before from this process.”
• (Additional Reporting by Nampa)
From 29-31 May 2013, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of ICT will host the International e-Learning Africa Conference in Windhoek. This follows a cabinet decision which approved that the 8th E-Learning Africa Conference be co-organised by the two Ministries under the theme Change, Innovation and Tradition. For more information on the conference please visit www.elearning-africa.com
Ministerial Statement in the National Assembly by Hon. Utoni Nujoma, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Namibia13 November 2012
Comrade Speaker, I rise to make a Ministerial statement on development in hotspot regions around the world: Somalia With respect to Somalia the Government of Namibia welcomes the important and positive progress more...