Political acumen critical for Cabinet appointees - Angula

Former Cabinet minister and Swapo veteran Helmut Angula says he sympathises with the unique circumstances President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah faced when appointing her Cabinet after a poor electoral performance but insists that political acumen – not technical expertise alone – is essential for those occupying ministerial positions.

All eight presidential appointees to the National Assembly were appointed as ministers – a historic first. They were Frans Kapofi, Sanet Steenkamp, Mac Albert Hengari, Ericah Shafudah, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, Dr Esperance Luvindao, Sankwasa James Sankwasa and Fillemon Wise Immanuel. Only Kapofi and Sankwasa had previously served in parliament.

Hengari was later replaced by Inge Zaamwani, who was also appointed as a non-voting member of the National Assembly and currently serves as the minister of agriculture.

Angula, during an interview on Network Television’s The Agenda talk show on Sunday, did not identify the ministers or presidential appointees he considered insufficiently prepared, saying he did not want to engage in “name-calling”.

He argued that technical qualifications alone did not necessarily prepare someone to manage a ministry, saying ministers need both specialist knowledge and an understanding of political administration.

“It’s a huge benefit when you come through the chain,” he said.

He said bringing technocrats into government could be beneficial, but they require substantial practical experience rather than merely possessing certificates or diplomas.

“If you brought in government technocrats, then you must really be highly technical,” he said.

Narrow lead

His comments centred on Nandi-Ndaitwah’s decision to use her eight presidential appointments to the National Assembly to bring additional people into the executive after Swapo’s reduced majority in the 2024 elections.

The Constitution permits the president to appoint eight non-voting members to the National Assembly based on their expertise, status, skills or experience. While they may participate in debates, they cannot vote in the House.

The appointees allowed Nandi-Ndaitwah to assemble her executive without removing too many voting Swapo MPs from the National Assembly at a time when the ruling party holds a narrow majority. The vulnerability of that majority has since become evident during sittings in which walkouts by opposition parties have left the House struggling to maintain a quorum.

Asked whether he recognised the unique situation Nandi-Ndaitwah found herself in, Angula said: "Yes, I clearly understand. But with a ‘but’".

He argued that, because presidential appointees do not carry voting rights, they should have been selected principally for their specialist abilities and readiness to handle complex portfolios.

“Then those other MPs, non-voting members, should then have come from highly technical background people, who could not be questioned and who did not need a month or a year to articulate the subject matter before parliament,” Angula said.

Unprepared

The interviewer pointed to finance minister Ericah Shafudah’s extensive background in the finance ministry and health minister Dr Esperance Luvindao’s training as examples of technical expertise within the administration.

Shafudah previously served as executive director in the finance ministry before joining the United Nations World Food Programme.

Angula acknowledged that some appointees possessed relevant experience but questioned whether this applied across the group.

“The one you mentioned may be having experience, technical speaking, but does that apply to all?” he asked.

Angula said experience gained through political structures and public administration are important because ministers were expected to understand complex government documents, formulate policy and defend their decisions in parliament.

“You find that people in very key positions, academically, they are not so well prepared,” Angula argued.

Angula argued that some office-bearers had entered senior positions without sufficient previous exposure to politics, business administration, international relations or international trade.

“In terms of business administration, or generally speaking in terms of international relations, including international trade, you subject that person to read the document, [a] product of the World Bank, or [the] United Nations agency, and it will take time,” he said.

Speaking on The Agenda in March this year, Nandi-Ndaitwah explained that appointed members of parliament do not have voting powers, leaving government with limited room to manoeuvre when relying on them in the National Assembly and parliamentary committees.

“With the small majority that my party has in the National Assembly, I have to balance the government and parliament because, otherwise, I would hand over parliament to the opposition,” she said.

She added this was why several elected MPs had to be brought into Cabinet, while all eight members the president is constitutionally empowered to appoint were made ministers.

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