Mbumba willing to testify in Fishrot

President Nangolo Mbumba, who delivered his first - and what might be his only - State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday, said he will avail himself to testify in the Fishrot trial if he is summoned to do so.

Mbumba was secretary-general of Swapo when the alleged Fishrot crimes, which apparently funded party activities prior to the 2017 congress, occurred.

An ally of late president Hage Geingob, Mbumba aligned with Team Harambee at the congress, which - according to testimonies submitted to court - had its activities and logistics funded with Fishrot money. Geingob denied that his campaign benefitted from the scandal, which saw his supporters at that congress – ministers Sacky Shanghala and Bernhardt Esau – getting arrested in 2019.

Eight other man are facing prosecution in the matter, with the trial scheduled to kick off this year.

Asked what he knows about Fishrot and whether he would obey any summons from the courts, Mbumba said: “If I am asked to appear before the court, I will”.

“As secretary-general, you can check the records of the party. If there are people who think they have records on me, they can proceed,” he said in response to a question from Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani.

On whether a sitting president can testify in court, lawyer Norman Tjombe said: “Yes, he can testify if he is agreeing to it. A sitting president cannot be compelled to testify, though”.

Geingob’s blueprint

The president – in office since 4 February after Geingob’s death – ducked the question of whether he will be publicly declaring his assets, to match the bar set by his predecessor in 2015.

Mbumba also claimed that Xaris Energy, a company which allegedly got a N$4 billion power tender from government in recent years, no longer exists. “I have no shares in it,” he said.

During a question-and-answer session, he highlighted that land – which remains a thorn in government’s side – cannot be expropriated without compensation. This is amid calls for government to take land away from the previously advantaged communities for equitable redistribution.

“Even if you expropriate the farms, you still have to pay for them. That’s what the law says.”

In his prepared speech, he praised Geingob’s legacy, and encouraged every Namibian to preserve that heritage.

"President Geingob left us with the blueprint for a united, peaceful and progressive Namibian home. He ensured that a future of great promise beckons for Namibia," he said.

"It is now the duty of all of us to continue from where he left us and march forward to achieve our national goals. Let's do this by preserving Namibia's democracy, unity and the rule of law.”

Govt’s achievements

Mbumba also outlined government's achievements over the past year. Regarding the fight against corruption, he mentioned that 87 out of 95 points of the anti-corruption strategy and action plan 2021 to 2025 had been achieved. Namibia still boasts the freest press in Africa, and ranks eighth out of 54 African countries in the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, he noted.

Specifically, the witness protection law is now in force, with an acting director and employees appointed for the witness protection unit. Furthermore, 37 community courts have been established to facilitate access to justice, the president pointed out.

Legislation that is receiving priority for empowerment in parliament this year includes the Namibia Equitable Economic Empowerment Bill (NEEEB), the access to information bill, the land reform bill, the Namibia investment promotion and facilitation bill, the informal economy and entrepreneurship policy bill, the cybercrime bill and the data protection bill, he said.

On finances and the economy, Mbumba mentioned that the Welwitschia Fund has already grown to N$425 million in value from the initial investment of N$262 million.

"Namibia's economic trajectory is promising, with a projected medium-term growth forecast of between 3% and 4%," he said. According to the president, a boost to the economy is expected this year from the burgeoning green hydrogen industry, from green ammonia and green iron production, and from oil discoveries along the south coast.

Among the obstacles to Namibia's progress, Mbumba mentioned the youth unemployment crisis and the national housing shortage, but added that it is the impending drought that worries him the most.