President takes on the opposition

Namibia Today

These are questions which the opposition parties in Parliament asked President Hifikepunye Pohamba after his State of the Nation Address on Wednesday. Some opposition leaders thought they would get him off-guard and knock his Address off balance. They were shocked, as the President cleverly outsmarted them, embarrassing them and putting all of them in an awkward corner. Read on.

Question: Ben Ulenga: CoD.
Comrade President, I have asked you many questions over the years. But today, I have one question only. This question concerns the more than N$600 million which is alleged to have been lost through what seems, to many, to be corrupt deals. Mr President! Knowing your very firm stance on corruption, why can’t you allow for an independent commission of inquiry into the GIPF saga?

Answer: President Pohamba:
These questions are yet another demonstration that democracy is alive in our country. Hon Ulenga is talking about an independent commission of inquiry on the GIPF. It is difficult, even if someone wants something to be done. The case of GIPF has already been placed in the hands of our Judiciary. They are looking on the situation. For us to go and snatch it off from the hands of the Judiciary and take it to an ‘independent commission of inquiry’ would not work out well. Let us leave it with our Judiciary, very capable Judiciary, to look into that situation, as they have started doing it.

Question: Katuutire Kaura:
DTA: My question is: I want to find out if His Excellency addressed us today as President of the SWAPO Party government or as President of the government of the Republic of Namibia?

Answer: President Pohamba:
Hon Kaura, when you are sitting there facing here, you are facing the SWAPO Party government. What is wrong for me, sitting here and leading the SWAPO Party government, to talk about it? You too talk about it yourself? Or do you want to talk about it only when you are accusing or you are blaming the SWAPO Party government facing this side, and you don’t want me to say “we in the SWAPO Party government? Is there anything wrong with that really Comrade Kaura? I am leading the SWAPO Party government. I did not just cross over. I have been elected to lead the SWAPO Party government. Wherever I am, I say I am leading the SWAPO Party government. Maybe after 50 years when you are going to be elected, after 50 years, you won’t like to be referred to as the “DTA government.” But once upon a time, it was referred to as the “DTA government.” There was a DTA government and people used to refer to it as the “DTA government”. And you were there. You did not stop it.

Question: Katuutire Kaura:
DTA: With regard to the floods that followed recent rains, especially in the four “O” regions and some parts in northeastern Namibia, what measures can be envisioned to contain the floods which appear to be permanent features in our country due to global warming?

Question: Hidipo Hamutenya:
RDP: Floods have become serious problems in this country. What do we plan to do to address this problem now and in the future?

Answer: President Pohamba: With regard to measures being put in place to contain floods, it is somehow difficult. In the first place, floods are not brought about by human persons. They are brought about by someone mightier than us. So are the rains. There are some areas which are flooded by rain water. And there are those areas that are flooded by water carried over from across the border. Unfortunately, our immigration officers are unable to stop such water at our border posts.

But technology has moved fast. Your points can be discussed with the countries where the water comes from – Zambia and Angola. Such points could be discussed. These floods are devastating. If you fly by helicopter over the flooded areas, particularly in Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and some parts of Oshikoto, it is frightening. At the moment, we don’t have that technology of stopping water. But as the time goes on, something might be done. A lot of water comes to the eastern areas of our country, carried through by a huge tunnel called Zambezi River. And again, it is a problem to stop it. But it is a good idea that you have brought up. It is good food for thoughts.

Question: Katutire Kaura:
DTA: While the whole country has been inundated by heavy rains throughout the country, communal farmers in the Otjozondjupa Region are faced with water bills now amounting to thousand of dollars per house hold. What can be done to help these people?

Answer: President Pohamba:
You talk about the water debts facing communal farmers in Otjozondjupa Region, I remember it was talked about sometimes back before I became President. And, speaking under correction, people were told to attend to what they had consumed – water, like anybody else in other parts of the country.

I speak under correction but I think that was the case. Again, you always wait for me to come here. You dare not come to the Office of the President and discuss these issues. I even extended an invitation to you to come so that we can discuss problems facing our people in our country. You kept quiet, apparently because you wanted to come and say it here. You have been there for a long time.

When I extend invitations to leaders of the opposition, I want us to discuss frankly about the problems facing our country. Or maybe it has come to your attention after you had visited my Office. We just met recently, less than four months ago.

I think the best way is perhaps that when I invite you, let us talk about these problems facing our people, including this one. I will find out from my colleagues responsible as to what exactly is taking place. There are times when opposition pose questions that on this date and that, I will ask so and so about this and that.

Responsible ministers go and make research. Now, if it were possible, and I know it is not, if you had submitted this question to me, I would have gone to those who are responsible and provide you with a very clear and informed answer. Now, I just extend an invitation to you to once again visit my Office with one topic on the agenda – the water issue which you felt you should ask me when you are sitting here.

Question: Hidipo Hamutenya:
RDP: Our nation is faced with widespread poverty. This poverty is manifested above all by a high rate of unemployment.

The question upmost in the minds of many people in this country is how much longer can this nation wait before it can see improvement in this plight?

Answer: President Pohamba:
Comrade Hidipo, sometimes I was used to seeing on this side of the House. Things have changed. Maybe it is unemployment. Unemployment is a big problem. It has been reflected in my statement. Maybe I did not go into the details. Last year in September, we called a summit to discuss unemployment. The TIPEEG that I was talking about in my speech were born out of that summit. It was a summit attended by the government, trade unions, employers and many other people. The business people were there.

That was what they recommended to government that something should be done in ABCD sectors. We are talking about TIPEEG now. It is the implementation of the recommendations that came from the summit. You might have sent a delegate there too. Unemployment is a big problem. TIPEEG is aiming at bring down unemployment rate in the country.

These are the aims and objectives of TIPEEG. Our private sector is working together with the government and the allocation of money I mentioned earlier in my speech will attend to unemployment in this country.

Question: Hidipo Hamutenya:
RDP: When you were inaugurated as the second President of the country, you said you would pursue a policy of zero tolerance on corruption. That was in 2005.

When you look back today to 2005, do you feel you have fulfilled that promise?

Answer: President Pohamba:
Corruption is very bad. I don’t want to see it. At the time I made that statement, we set up mechanisms after that. There is the Anti- Corruption Commission, ACC. The ACC must be supported by all of us. We, from this side of the House, have been supporting it. I want you to start supporting it in its drive to root out corruption in this country. Fighting corruption is not a one person’s job.

It is upon us as Namibians that we work together to confront corruption. As Namibians, you don’t even come to me and say “look, corruption here, so and so is corrupt, investigate.” People are just quiet, especially my brothers and sisters in front of me, with the exception of those on this side. You keep quiet. You see things are not fine and you don’t come to me.

Today I want to appeal to you as fellow leaders, to talk to your members that whenever they detect corruption being done, you come and tell me in confidence.

I will not reveal your names. You colleagues like to talk when you come to Parliament, but you hide things. You don’t come to me. I invited you and I was happy to see you when you came. Keep on coming and tell me. We will definitely investigate those things. If I say zero tolerance and the people are quiet, how am I going to get the information in order to make a follow up? I have some people, fellow citizens, who are not forthcoming! I invite you to work together as citizens of this country. If we give one another information, that is the best way to confront corruption.

Question: Hidipo Hamutenya:
RDP: The Judiciary in this country leaves much to be desired. People refer to the Caprivi secession case as a classic case of the saying that ‘justice delayed is justice denied.’ When is this nation going to see a resolution of the long-drawn out case of the Caprivi secession case?

Answer: President Pohamba:
You are speaking about the Caprivi secession case. You are right. Justice delayed is justice denied. You have never been in jail. I have been in jail. But I can tell you Comrade Hidipo that if I stayed in jail like Comrade Herman Toivo Ya Toivo did, I could be a crazy man by now. I hated the keys, when they come (opening doors or gates). How about those who have been there for a long time?

Why they are there is not because of the government. The government arrested those who were found committing crimes. They were handed over to the Judiciary.

Once they have been given to the Judiciary, the government does not interfere. Unless, perhaps, you have forgotten how to read your Constitution! As much as I would like something to be done about these people, it is out of the powers of the Executive. It is an issue of the Judiciary.

Maybe, after 100 years, when RDP takes over, this situation is going to confront you. And that is after a 100 years. It is not good for people to be kept in jail. I hate it. I was in jail. I hate it. But I don’t have the power to do anything.

Maybe you should go to Chief Justice Peter Shivute. You can go there and ask him. Not even the Minister of Justice, being from the Executive, has the power to intervene. Should we do that, the first people to talk will be from that side – interference in the Judiciary.

Question: Simson Tjongarero:
UDF: I have three questions, all about Vision 2030. Is the President satisfied with the overall progress made to date regarding Vision 2030? Which ministries are so far ahead in driving the process? How often are the key players reporting progress made to the relevant authorities and the public at large?

Answers: President Pohamba:
You speak about Vision 2030, I want Vision 2030 to materialize as we have planned it. But again, if there are some people who, like a person building a house, and someone comes to steal the bricks which were used to build the house yesterday, you will never finish building the house at the time you want to finish it. Again I appeal to you as fellow citizens to work together. Let us work together in order for us to realize the implementation of Vision 2030.

On performance, ministries may not be 100 per cent satisfied, but I think by and large, they are satisfied because the process is driven by the budget. We say let us put the money on education because the realization of Vision 2030 depends on our skilled and trained personnel.

Last Wednesday, I inaugurated the International University of Management, IUM, that was founded by a Namibian citizen by the name David Namwandi. He is talking about his contribution to the realization of Vision 2030. Certainly, if we do not have trained and educated people, we won’t be able to get there. Nobody from outside will get us there. We have to do it ourselves. That is why we put a lot of taxpayers’ money on education.

Question: Anton von Wiestersheim:
RDP: Namibia has enough supply of wind and solar to produce its own energy. Seeing the rising scarcity of energy in the SADC region, I think that this is the kind of project Namibia can develop not only for its own benefit, but also for the benefits of the region. We also have gas reserves. When are we going to develop these sources of energy to guarantee a power supply that is reliable?

Answer: President Pohamba:
The Ministry of Mines and Energy has been searching for and looking at various options, trying to figure out which one would be the best. He reported to me about the wind and the solar options. I have not tested the wind, but the solar I have. If you go to Okanghudi at my village, I put up a solar panel and it works very well. I think the responsible Ministry is working hard to find the cheapest and best option. We are trying to see how we can do it better.

But we are going to face the energy problem as the time goes on. Let us be honest to one another.

We have tried to bring this interconnection from Zambia. It has now been connected. But still, it is now ours. It is the energy that we are getting from outside. There was a time when we were thinking of getting energy from DRC, the Inga project. We were preparing for Inga. But then all of a sudden, we were told Inga was off.

We are now in this situation. The sooner we get our own source of energy, the better for us. You brought up this idea sometimes back and you just kept quiet! Why did you not come to me? Were you waiting to be elected to Parliament to ask this question? Please, once again, I extend invitation to you so that we discuss. You may be having good ideas.

I am happy to have talked to you this time in Parliament. I will be happier if we can talk to one another very often. There are political differences, but when it comes to the welfare of our people and the development of our country, let us come together and talk.

When real politics comes, when elections come, we meet there again. But now let us come together and talk when it comes to the development of our country and the welfare of our people. Let us not shy away from one another. Let us talk. I need advice, and this is what I told you when you came to see me.

I remember some people came, I am not going to mention their names, and said that they had come to “an illegitimate government.”

I said Okay! “I am very happy you have come to see me and responded to a call of a person who is heading and illegitimate government in this country.”

You are welcome and we discuss the issues. There is nothing wrong with that. Please, come.