EDITORIAL: Mbumba unscathed in SONA debut
President Nangolo Mbumba’s State of the Nation Address yesterday inspired confidence, although he is only warming the seat for the incoming president. His posture was consistent with his general attitude since assuming office over a month ago – cautious in his approach to everything.
Rocking the boat, while you’ve arrived in the Office of the President through the backdoor, would perhaps not have augured well. Therefore, even the question for the man to declare his assets – which is not a legal requirement, by the way – sounds a bit overzealous.
But because Mbumba has been declared the fourth president of the republic, amid murmurs of discontent in some quarters, we will hold him to the same standards as his three predecessors. Not even his weekend special presidency will save him. After all, he will enjoy all the benefits post-retirement, including a multimillion-dollar house.
It’s early days to blow horns and sing praises, but Mbumba has held the fort calmly so far. His willingness to testify in the Fishrot trial, even while serving as president, is commendable. So much is at stake regarding Fishrot. The men at the Windhoek Correctional Facility deserve to know their fate, and the nation demands justice – whichever way it pans out.
While his job is to see out Geingob’s term, Mbumba is now a substantive president. He may need to tweak a thing or two to write his own legacy, rather than being reduced to a mere benchwarmer.
Rocking the boat, while you’ve arrived in the Office of the President through the backdoor, would perhaps not have augured well. Therefore, even the question for the man to declare his assets – which is not a legal requirement, by the way – sounds a bit overzealous.
But because Mbumba has been declared the fourth president of the republic, amid murmurs of discontent in some quarters, we will hold him to the same standards as his three predecessors. Not even his weekend special presidency will save him. After all, he will enjoy all the benefits post-retirement, including a multimillion-dollar house.
It’s early days to blow horns and sing praises, but Mbumba has held the fort calmly so far. His willingness to testify in the Fishrot trial, even while serving as president, is commendable. So much is at stake regarding Fishrot. The men at the Windhoek Correctional Facility deserve to know their fate, and the nation demands justice – whichever way it pans out.
While his job is to see out Geingob’s term, Mbumba is now a substantive president. He may need to tweak a thing or two to write his own legacy, rather than being reduced to a mere benchwarmer.
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