Thieves are not protected - Geingob

President Hage Geingob on Saturday gave an impassioned sermon about his record on fighting corruption, saying his administration has never defended corrupt officials.He was speaking at the launch of the Swapo election manifesto at Outapi ahead of next month's general election. The head of state said transparency and accountability form the cornerstone of the party's new manifesto.He said in recent cases, drastic actions were taken to cancel the awarding of the Hosea Kutako International Airport upgrading tender, which was inflated from N$3 billion to N$7 billion. In this case, government approached the High Court where it sought the cancellation of the tender awarded to a Chinese company. Government lost the case and appealed in the Supreme Court, where it eventually won. No government official was held accountable in the matter. Geingob on Saturday also cited government action in the national oil storage facility constructed at Walvis Bay, where costs escalated due to an unfavourable contractual agreement reached between government and contractors.“We believe that the fight against corruption should take place with adherence to processes, systems and institutions,” said Geingob on why government did not hold people accountable in some of the cases he cited.“That is why the famous cases of corruption such as Avid, ODC and GIPF are in the courts, which are independent and where government cannot intervene. This is the same with the SME Bank case,” Geingob says.“We protect no one. When some ministers were accused of corruption, rightfully or wrongfully, I wrote letters to them to which they responded and their cases are being dealt with by the Anti-Corruption Commission, which is the institution tasked with investigating matters of corruption.”Meanwhile, the Swapo manifesto outlines how the ruling party aims to further harness the potential of the youth dividend and lead from the front in spearheading efforts to economically empower and socially uplift young people. Swapo promises to ensure that no Namibian will lose jobs due to the introduction of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Youth leaders who show potential and promise are being groomed and the party will continue to eliminate corrupt practices from all sectors of our society, it promises.“In an effort to place Namibia on a positive growth trajectory, the Swapo Party will lead from the front in spearheading efforts to economically empower and socially uplift our young people. This will be one of the cornerstones of our programme of governance over the next five years,” Geingob said.“This manifesto is our contract with the people of Namibia. It is a declaration of our intentions, motives, and views on how to take Namibia forwards to bigger things and a brighter future. In it, the Swapo Party sets out its broad vision for Namibia's future, a future characterised by inclusive development and shared prosperity.” The launch attracted a large number of people from all corners of the country, among them former president Hifikepunye Pohamba.Geingob says that the party is confident that the policies and measures outlined in the manifesto will help unlock opportunities for all the people, consolidate their gains, and deliver on the promise of shared prosperity.Swapo secretary general Sofia Shaningwa also spoke at the same event where she indicated that the party leadership will strive to continue creating an enabling environment in order to empower people to improve their living standards.Shaningwa says that in order to improve standards of living in the country, Namibians must not operate in silos.“When things are tough like this, it is not time to start pointing figures or change the leadership or the political party that you have been supporting, but a time to work together and pull all of our resources together in one direction towards improving our economy and hence our standard of living,” said Shaningwa.“There have been misconceptions by political opportunists and our detractors, as far as our economy is concerned. This is not the time to misinform, mislead and anger the nation. I therefore call upon you all Swapo Party cadres to enlighten our people with real facts.”ILENI NANDJATO

Thieves are not protected - Geingob

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-12-15

Please login to leave a comment

Thieves are not protected - Geingob

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-12-15

Please login to leave a comment

Subscription Required to Access Content ×

Login

Subscription Required to Access Content