Political mess

Health minister Bernard Haufiku has lifted the lid on President Hage Geingob's 'interference' in his ministry, adding he will do what he must to ensure that public healthcare is improved and will not quit.He also described the furore around the northern referral hospital as a political mess that he does not want to be part of.In a frank interview with Namibian Sun yesterday, the health minister said Geingob was interfering too much and that he thought he was coming into a situation (heading the ministry) in which he would be trusted to produce a certain result, within a certain time.He also revealed that his recent call on the private sector for assistance with the ministry's eye-care clinic at the Windhoek Central Hospital had resulted in an allegation that he had “embarrassed the government”.In September, Haufiku appealed to corporates and private citizens to help the ministry keep the clinic open, after it was temporarily closed because of a lack of supplies.“When it became known that the private sector had helped, I was berated by my superior in cabinet. 'You are [giving the] government a bad name. What are these private people now doing? They have billions of money and they are giving N$200 and you are showing them on television'. “You know the mentality, the attitude. That is why I am saying some of the people must make a rotation in the private sector before they can go to the public sector.“Now they are more worried about me appearing on TV and thanking the people that helped us, than the real situation that was happening,” Haufiku said. The minister said he had also been rebuked for talking to the media and for praising people. Haufiku said he had distanced himself from the Ondangwa referral hospital saga and would not be part of a political mess.He said he had diverted his attention to other interventions.“We are now looking at other things; we are improving the Onandjokwe hospital's maternity section. We are looking at building a regional hospital at Otjiwarongo. “I will not be part of the mess of Ondangwa. We have just opened an extended clinic at Okaku, about six kilometres outside of the Ondangwa airport. We are strengthening our community health project in the Oshikoto Region. That is really what I am doing,” he said. Haufiku said he was “badly, badly” disappointed by the political interference. “The Ondangwa town council could have called me to explain and discuss it with me; they went to State House and lobbied the president. “The president came to me, the president was with them, so what can I do? The president is the ultimate power in the country, I cannot fight the president. I will wait, maybe he will give an instruction, but I am not going to lead this as my initiative,” he said. Questions sent to State House spokesperson Alfredo Hengari were not answered by the time of going to print.In 2017, the Oshana regional council approved the construction of a referral hospital at Ondangwa, but while the regional political leadership wanted the state-of-the-art hospital to be built at the town, other political heavyweights reportedly preferred Ongwediva.The 1 000-bed academic hospital was to have an oncology centre, a maternity block and a cardiac unit.Namibian Sun previously reported that a boardroom tussle between northern politicians and the health minister was threatening to stall the hospital project.Haufiku also took a swipe at the Public Service Commission (PSC), saying government ministries were mere proxies of it.“I have no power as a minister. I disciplined a driver who was so ill-mannered and when it went to PSC it was reversed and they said it is too heavy and that we must just deploy him somewhere else. “It is the PSC that is actually the problem in government and it makes us less effective as ministers. No discipline. You can stay away from work for 28 days, you would still not be dismissed. In the private sector, three days are enough and you go home.”JEMIMA BEUKES

Political mess

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

Please login to leave a comment

Political mess

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

Please login to leave a comment

Login