Steven Mvula writes:
Allow me a space in your media to express my views as is required in a democratic State.
I recently read that Swapo has assembled a new think tank, which is tasked with drawing up the party’s election manifesto ahead of the November general elections and that the membership has been increased from 38 to 48 members.
The new-look structure boasts 12 women and 36 men.
Described as the intellectual cream of Swapo, the think tank consists of ruling party technocrats with expertise in various fields of specialisation.
The think tank advises Swapo on matters of policy and makes input into Swapo’s key policy drafts and other documents.
Kalumbi Shangula is the chairman of the think tank and is deputised by Anna Shiweda.
Having that in my mind, I was looking for two things to be taken into consideration, namely that Swapo has recently amended its constitution in order to make it constitutionally binding that males and females be equally represented in its structures. That is to say there will always be a 50/5 representation of both men and women in its structures.
And that there will be no blurring of lines between the Swapo Party and government or State/public institution structures.
The first concern about the Swapo think is that its composition of 12 women and 36 men is a painful slap in the face to the party’s women members.
The second issue is whether there will be a separation of power between the State organs/public institutions and the Swapo Party administration.
I came across some names of well-known senior public officials that are part of the new Swapo think tank.
I believe the principle/policy that “management cadres” are prohibited from taking an active part in political party activities still applies or does it only apply at the NBC, where Lapaka Weyulu was hauled before a disciplinary committee and at TransNamib, where Mike Kavekotora had to lose his job, as both were on the parliamentary list of a political party?
It is also well-known that Dr Kaire Mbwende lost his diplomatic post because the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) strongly believed he was advancing a certain political party ideology that led to more votes being given away from his base in New York.
I now want to know if some of these ruling party think tank members are still representing the interests of the Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN) and the State, impartially or have they resigned from their duty in order to take up Swapo Party activities through the think tank:
How would we trust that laws are being reformed, that statistics are being compiled, proper economic advises are being given, that budgets are being planned and that proper appointments are being made?
How can we know that tenders being properly placed and offered, that news is being disseminated, that loans being awarded and service delivery is assured, when people who are highly politicised and biased are at the head of government agencies and departments?
What do they plan first? Is it to make sure we are brainwashed to believe things are going well in this land?
Is it aimed at knowing what the State’s plans are and how Swapo can re-direct its plans and policies to benefit from them?
No wonder unemployment is said to be as low as 20%, and that governors must be appointed or people spied on?
Now I understand why President Hifikepunye Pohamba calls it the “Swapo Party Government” and not the GRN. Previously, we had the “Apartheid Government”.
The effort to weaken the separation of power and the blurring of the State and political party structures or activities are a clear attempt to render Namibia a banana republic.
That worries some of us who do not possess dual citizenship or a second home somewhere else on the planet Earth.
Soon, we may see police commissioners being placed into the political party think tanks.
Is this what we agreed upon at independence as a constitutional democracy?
I doubt it! It looks like someone is trying to take us back to the apartheid-like ‘one-party State’ where the rule of law is replaced by the rule of powerful men and women.
I am now calling upon both outgoing President Pohamba and Prime Minister Dr Hage Geingob to tell us the truth about what their agenda for Namibia is.
If this is not an institutionalised corruption and a conflict of interest, then I must be told by what name to call it.
Whatever happened to the vow to “root out corruption”?
Category: