Namibia must fight corruption Chinese-style, Kaiyamo says

Namibian ambassador to China Elia Kaiyamo says the country can draw inspiration from China on taking a hard-line stance on corruption - irrespective of who is involved, or their proximity to power.

Corruption remains a concern in Namibia, with the Fishrot bribery trial expected to kick off soon. Two ministers were arrested in the scandal, alongside eight others. The 10 men maintain their innocence, with some implying a political witch-hunt.

In China, corruption is severely dealt with - sometimes through the death penalty. "In this country, it doesn't matter what your class or position is. You will be sent to jail," Kaiyamo said.

Culture of hard work

Speaking to Namibian Sun in Beijing this week, where the Africa-China Youth Festival is underway, he also highlighted the culture of hard work in the Asian country, saying this attitude was key to its meteoric economic transformation.

Kaiyamo, a former deputy minister of home affairs, said Namibia and China can peacefully coexist - amid constant questions of whether the two nations were operating on equal footing in their bilateral relations.

"For us in Namibia to maintain a peaceful coexistence with Chinese citizens, we must just implement our laws fully without fear or favour like they do here [in China]," the ambassador said.

China's inroads in Namibia's construction industry, including the shortlisting of seven companies from that country for the upgrading of the Karibib-Usakos road last year, have prompted questions whether the Asian economic powerhouse was here to take over.

The Karibib-Usakos road, a Roads Authority project, is financed by German development bank KfW.

At the time, the Chinese embassy in Namibia said the fact that a German-funded project was awarded to a Chinese entity spoke volumes to China's efficiency in that and other sectors.

Unwarranted

Meanwhile, Kaiyamo said questions about China's intentions in Namibia were unwarranted.

"China, as a nation, wants a win-win situation in whatever they are involved in. For us to fully appreciate this, we firstly need to get small things right. Things like inculcating patriotism through singing our national anthem," he said.

"People here work very hard. Seven days a week. We can learn hard work, patriotism, reconciliation, innovation, discipline and people-centered governance from the Chinese," the diplomat added.

On the status of Sino-Namibian relations, Kaiyamo said about 600 Namibian students are studying in that country. "During the Covid-19 pandemic, China helped us with medicine, which they transported to Namibia themselves."

China's biggest investment in Africa, the Husab uranium mine, is in Namibia.

Kaiyamo said bilateral relations between the two countries can be revised for the betterment of both parties. "Like any agreement, there might be a need to re-look at some situations, because each country is evolving and we must respond to new realities. For example, we may need to bring in training in hydrogen, innovation, climate change and so forth.”

Relations between the two countries date back to 1965 when Sam Nujoma, then a leader of the Namibian revolution through Swapo, visited chairman of the Communist Party of China, Mao Zedong. China was the first country to sign diplomatic relations with Namibia, which happened within hours of the latter gaining independence in March 1990.

The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL), under its secretary Elijah Ngurare at the time, was a key catalyst to the establishment of the Africa-China Youth Festival, which is now in its eighth year.