First Lady has ‘no aspiration’ for political office
RIGHT OF REPLY
First Lady Monica Geingos has no aspiration to become a political office bearer and is in no way involved in the current Swapo congress campaigns, her lawyers said on Friday.
Geingob reacted angrily to an opinion piece by Professor Joseph Diescho, published in Namibian Sun on Wednesday last week, in which the German-based academic wrote that Swapo vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, if she retains her position at congress, is unlikely to "wheelbarrow the current First Lady into parliament just to clear the space for vice-president or prime minister appointment to protect the former president".
Diescho also wrote that "of the current contestants, Netumbo is the most solid and the only one who is unlikely to cut a deal with anyone to protect the incumbent President after his term in 2024...".
Chance to respond
Geingos, through her lawyer Sisa Namandje, says publishing Diescho's opinion piece was "gross recklessness" by Namibian Sun, and Geingos should have been granted an opportunity to comment on Diescho’s assertions.
"Our client has repeatedly, to your knowledge, indicated that she has no aspirations to becoming a political office bearer," her lawyer wrote.
"To your knowledge, our client is not involved in the ongoing Swapo Party's internal campaigns for or against any of the candidates as she has deliberately steered clear of any activity or public statements that may be construed as her support or preference of any particular candidates over the others."
Geingos, who is threatening legal action against the newspaper, said there are no personal or political differences between her and Nandi-Ndaitwah, as may have been implied by Diescho in his opinion piece.
Geingob reacted angrily to an opinion piece by Professor Joseph Diescho, published in Namibian Sun on Wednesday last week, in which the German-based academic wrote that Swapo vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, if she retains her position at congress, is unlikely to "wheelbarrow the current First Lady into parliament just to clear the space for vice-president or prime minister appointment to protect the former president".
Diescho also wrote that "of the current contestants, Netumbo is the most solid and the only one who is unlikely to cut a deal with anyone to protect the incumbent President after his term in 2024...".
Chance to respond
Geingos, through her lawyer Sisa Namandje, says publishing Diescho's opinion piece was "gross recklessness" by Namibian Sun, and Geingos should have been granted an opportunity to comment on Diescho’s assertions.
"Our client has repeatedly, to your knowledge, indicated that she has no aspirations to becoming a political office bearer," her lawyer wrote.
"To your knowledge, our client is not involved in the ongoing Swapo Party's internal campaigns for or against any of the candidates as she has deliberately steered clear of any activity or public statements that may be construed as her support or preference of any particular candidates over the others."
Geingos, who is threatening legal action against the newspaper, said there are no personal or political differences between her and Nandi-Ndaitwah, as may have been implied by Diescho in his opinion piece.
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