Utoni is unfit

The shameful conduct of land reform minister Utoni Nujoma, who is once again hogging the headlines for all the wrong reasons, can no longer be allowed to continue unchallenged. Nujoma, as the custodian of the critical land reform ministry, has been one of the most secretive ministers in the President Hage Geingob administration. It also appears that he has declared war against the media, judging by his impatient, shallow and disrespectful answers when dealing with journalists. In the run-up to the second national land conference, Nujoma and his ministry officials bluntly refused to engage the media on pertinent issues concerning this important gathering, including playing hide-and-seek with the public over the contentious resettlement beneficiaries list. The Office of the Prime Minister had to be roped in at a later stage to save face. However, the damage was already done. With his dismissive, crude and arrogant attitude, Nujoma is not only letting the Namibian nation down, but also his appointing authority, President Geingob, who has broadly embraced openness, by allowing the media to forge social accountability. Nujoma's handling of the Rashid Sardarov land saga, including his refusal to entertain enquiries from media houses, only the NBC, bears testimony to the fact that the land reform minister is not fit to hold an office of this magnitude. Sardarov, who is one of the richest men in Russia, purchased four farms and then donated them back to the government, which in turn leased them back to him for 99 years. Again Nujoma failed spectacularly, especially given the fact that journalists have been making never-ending enquiries regarding details involving the four farms for quite some time now. It must be said that this process required the minister to embrace the need for openness.

Land remains a serious challenge and affects thousands of us. Nujoma has demonstrated that he is surely not up to the task and the nation is yearning for a new leader in this ministry, in whom it can place its ever-dwindling trust.