Geingob blasts critics
President Hage Geingob says the Harambee Prosperity Plan is unduly criticised before it has even kicked off.
Addressing a large crowd at Keetmanshoop on Saturday, President Hage Geingob strongly criticised what he called “failed politicians” that have joined civil society groups to influence the government.
“No, you are defeated,” remonstrated Geingob, saying civil society organisations in Namibia want to “deal with everything” the government is tasked to do unlike international movements that focus on specific issues.
“They are failed politicians who want to come [in] from the back door now. Civil society wants to come in; why do we have elections then?” Geingob asked, and added that not everyone can be allowed to be governing the country since those in power have been duly elected to do that.
He was making thinly veiled reference to the Landless People's Movement (LPM) and its leadership, amongst whom the former deputy minister of land reform, Bernadus Swartbooi and other Swapo members are now under fire in the party for advocating under civil society banners for ancestral land rights and urban erven.
Geingob was speaking at Swapo's star rally at the J. Stephanus Stadium in Tseiblaagte where the LPM had also drawn a similarly large crowd of people about a month ago.
A striking difference in the demeanour of the two sets of crowds was that the LPM gathering consisted of mostly Nama speakers who reacted very emotionally to the ancestral land claims proposed by the LPM leadership.
Nama-speaking people only made up a fraction amongst this weekend's gathering who for the most part were very reserved and had to be prompted to clap hands or sing along.
President Geingob at one stage even suggested that people are not engaging with the speakers at the podium because the LPM had allegedly urged them not to attend the Swapo rally.
“You were told 'don't go to the meeting because you don't have land' and now you are not clapping hands. What is wrong with clapping hands?” Geingob at one point challenged the crowd.
He said it was not Swapo that had dispossessed land but rather that land had been dispossessed first during the German colonial era and later by Apartheid South Africa.
“Did Swapo take your land? Why should Swapo do that? Swapo has sacrificed; many have died to free this country so that you can get your land back. Why should Swapo leaders prevent people from getting their land?” he challenged the crowd.
A swipe
President Geingob took a swipe at the media by suggesting that the so-called defeated and failed politicians are being proffered by the fourth estate.
“What happens when we defeat them [the 'failed politicians']? Then the press and other civil society organisations realise the opposition is weak. The press wants to step in; civil society wants to come in,” Geingob said.
He, however, stressed that the government cherishes freedom of the press, which he said was introduced in the country by Swapo.
Geingob said he does mind criticism from veteran journalist and founding editor of The Namibian, Gwen Lister, because she had played her part in the struggle for Namibia's independence.
What riles him he added, are journalists in the age range of 40 to 50 who are old enough to have contributed to Namibia's liberation struggle, but who have not, and today pretend to be the “guardians of democracy”.
“Where were they? Gwen can talk all what she wants to talk, but she was there that time. But, what about the others? They were in London or elsewhere and now they are here to lecture us on democracy. I say no!” emphasised the president.
He also took aim at the NBC, which he said is going out of its way to report on poverty in Namibia and suggested that this is to create the impression that his Harambee Prosperity Plan is a failure before it got out of the blocks.
“Every evening you will see [on TV] the ghettos. We did not create those ghettos; they were there,” said Geingob.
He pointed out that the prevailing poverty is historical poverty and said blame for this should be apportioned to the former apartheid system.
He chided those who want to see a return of the former regime, who “want to go back to apartheid” as he put it, saying it is now time to move forward and create prosperity.
“That is our mandate,” Geingob stated. “We are doing things in a modern way, but people are just criticising.”
Greed
President Geingob also criticised unbridled greed and corruption.
“Whether you are Swapo or others, do your business in a legal way. Don't be greedy to become rich overnight. We support Swapo members to do business, but not illegally, not through corruption, and not through thinking that you are Swapo and therefore it is your government and therefore anything must be given to you. No. One Namibia, one nation,” Geingob said.
He also stressed that the government is not against businesspeople, as reportedly suggested.
Geingob said the Swapo government has put in place robust governance and micro economic architecture in place that serves the country well.
He said the Swapo government has acknowledged that the country is going through difficult financial times and is taking the necessary steps to mitigate the situation, but pointed out that finance minister Calle Schlettwein has indicated that the country is working to move out of the tight squeeze.
Geingob also said that the recently announced budget is not Schlettwein's budget, as it is often referred to, but said the budget was fully discussed and agreed on by the entire Cabinet.
Catherine Sasman
“No, you are defeated,” remonstrated Geingob, saying civil society organisations in Namibia want to “deal with everything” the government is tasked to do unlike international movements that focus on specific issues.
“They are failed politicians who want to come [in] from the back door now. Civil society wants to come in; why do we have elections then?” Geingob asked, and added that not everyone can be allowed to be governing the country since those in power have been duly elected to do that.
He was making thinly veiled reference to the Landless People's Movement (LPM) and its leadership, amongst whom the former deputy minister of land reform, Bernadus Swartbooi and other Swapo members are now under fire in the party for advocating under civil society banners for ancestral land rights and urban erven.
Geingob was speaking at Swapo's star rally at the J. Stephanus Stadium in Tseiblaagte where the LPM had also drawn a similarly large crowd of people about a month ago.
A striking difference in the demeanour of the two sets of crowds was that the LPM gathering consisted of mostly Nama speakers who reacted very emotionally to the ancestral land claims proposed by the LPM leadership.
Nama-speaking people only made up a fraction amongst this weekend's gathering who for the most part were very reserved and had to be prompted to clap hands or sing along.
President Geingob at one stage even suggested that people are not engaging with the speakers at the podium because the LPM had allegedly urged them not to attend the Swapo rally.
“You were told 'don't go to the meeting because you don't have land' and now you are not clapping hands. What is wrong with clapping hands?” Geingob at one point challenged the crowd.
He said it was not Swapo that had dispossessed land but rather that land had been dispossessed first during the German colonial era and later by Apartheid South Africa.
“Did Swapo take your land? Why should Swapo do that? Swapo has sacrificed; many have died to free this country so that you can get your land back. Why should Swapo leaders prevent people from getting their land?” he challenged the crowd.
A swipe
President Geingob took a swipe at the media by suggesting that the so-called defeated and failed politicians are being proffered by the fourth estate.
“What happens when we defeat them [the 'failed politicians']? Then the press and other civil society organisations realise the opposition is weak. The press wants to step in; civil society wants to come in,” Geingob said.
He, however, stressed that the government cherishes freedom of the press, which he said was introduced in the country by Swapo.
Geingob said he does mind criticism from veteran journalist and founding editor of The Namibian, Gwen Lister, because she had played her part in the struggle for Namibia's independence.
What riles him he added, are journalists in the age range of 40 to 50 who are old enough to have contributed to Namibia's liberation struggle, but who have not, and today pretend to be the “guardians of democracy”.
“Where were they? Gwen can talk all what she wants to talk, but she was there that time. But, what about the others? They were in London or elsewhere and now they are here to lecture us on democracy. I say no!” emphasised the president.
He also took aim at the NBC, which he said is going out of its way to report on poverty in Namibia and suggested that this is to create the impression that his Harambee Prosperity Plan is a failure before it got out of the blocks.
“Every evening you will see [on TV] the ghettos. We did not create those ghettos; they were there,” said Geingob.
He pointed out that the prevailing poverty is historical poverty and said blame for this should be apportioned to the former apartheid system.
He chided those who want to see a return of the former regime, who “want to go back to apartheid” as he put it, saying it is now time to move forward and create prosperity.
“That is our mandate,” Geingob stated. “We are doing things in a modern way, but people are just criticising.”
Greed
President Geingob also criticised unbridled greed and corruption.
“Whether you are Swapo or others, do your business in a legal way. Don't be greedy to become rich overnight. We support Swapo members to do business, but not illegally, not through corruption, and not through thinking that you are Swapo and therefore it is your government and therefore anything must be given to you. No. One Namibia, one nation,” Geingob said.
He also stressed that the government is not against businesspeople, as reportedly suggested.
Geingob said the Swapo government has put in place robust governance and micro economic architecture in place that serves the country well.
He said the Swapo government has acknowledged that the country is going through difficult financial times and is taking the necessary steps to mitigate the situation, but pointed out that finance minister Calle Schlettwein has indicated that the country is working to move out of the tight squeeze.
Geingob also said that the recently announced budget is not Schlettwein's budget, as it is often referred to, but said the budget was fully discussed and agreed on by the entire Cabinet.
Catherine Sasman
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