Amupanda lays presidential manifesto bare
Presidential hopeful Job Amupanda says it will be business unusual if he takes office on 21 March 2025.
One of the first things his administration would do is renegotiate Namibia’s oil deals with the Qatari government and oil giants TotalEnergies and Shell, he said.
Qatar has an interest - through its oil and gas company Qatar Energy - in the Venus and Graff wells discovered in early 2022, together with TotalEnergies and Shell respectively, in what are being deemed significant finds.
“What we are going to do is we are not going to be desperate to run into these deals because we are comfortable with our mindset to be able to turn around the economy. We are not going to be desperate to say ‘where is the dotted line’, we will renegotiate everything these guys have negotiated,” Amupanda said.
According to him, if those interested in Namibia’s recently discovered oil resources are not satisfied, it would make no difference to leave the oil deposits undeveloped.
“If the Qataris don’t want or don’t agree, the oil will remain in our country,” he said.
No secrecy
Amupanda added that his administration would not entertain secret agreements, saying everything will be open to public scrutiny.
“We are not part of any secret agreement that has been agreed to and we will engage from the vantage point of 'what is in it for our people, what is in for our country'. There must be strategic partnerships and strategic relationships.”
Namibia, Amupanda said, has sufficient resources to ensure a quality life for all its citizens.
“There is a lot for everybody in this country if there is correct and right leadership.”
Amupanda added that he will not be bound by historical ties and, if voted into power, would negotiate on the basis of creating a win-win deal for all parties involved.
“Everyone who will come and negotiate with me at State House will be seeing me for the first time. I’m going to be asking ‘what is in it for my country, what is in it for our economy’, without any historical baggage of being in Beijing, so we are going to be very clear in the way we do things,” he said.
He recently announced his candidature for presidency with billboards in Windhoek, Walvis Bay and Ondangwa.
One of the first things his administration would do is renegotiate Namibia’s oil deals with the Qatari government and oil giants TotalEnergies and Shell, he said.
Qatar has an interest - through its oil and gas company Qatar Energy - in the Venus and Graff wells discovered in early 2022, together with TotalEnergies and Shell respectively, in what are being deemed significant finds.
“What we are going to do is we are not going to be desperate to run into these deals because we are comfortable with our mindset to be able to turn around the economy. We are not going to be desperate to say ‘where is the dotted line’, we will renegotiate everything these guys have negotiated,” Amupanda said.
According to him, if those interested in Namibia’s recently discovered oil resources are not satisfied, it would make no difference to leave the oil deposits undeveloped.
“If the Qataris don’t want or don’t agree, the oil will remain in our country,” he said.
No secrecy
Amupanda added that his administration would not entertain secret agreements, saying everything will be open to public scrutiny.
“We are not part of any secret agreement that has been agreed to and we will engage from the vantage point of 'what is in it for our people, what is in for our country'. There must be strategic partnerships and strategic relationships.”
Namibia, Amupanda said, has sufficient resources to ensure a quality life for all its citizens.
“There is a lot for everybody in this country if there is correct and right leadership.”
Amupanda added that he will not be bound by historical ties and, if voted into power, would negotiate on the basis of creating a win-win deal for all parties involved.
“Everyone who will come and negotiate with me at State House will be seeing me for the first time. I’m going to be asking ‘what is in it for my country, what is in it for our economy’, without any historical baggage of being in Beijing, so we are going to be very clear in the way we do things,” he said.
He recently announced his candidature for presidency with billboards in Windhoek, Walvis Bay and Ondangwa.
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