Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
What a brave attempt befitting the brave new world of the brave 8th administration of Namibia. Could not have been the immediate reaction of Yours Truly Ideologically to the National Council Secretary’s brave attempt at rationalising and attempting to instilling a sense of understanding in whatever way, politically, administratively and otherwise, regarding the recent appointment of especially deputy ministers by the President.
Her Excellency, in her typical “business unusual” gear and mode, herself cited governance, accountability, inclusivity and the acceleration of national development as, indeed, the obvious reasons and/or motivations for the appointments. Certainly they cannot be the only ones. As, on the face of it, they cannot be the only ones zeroing in on the various appointees. When and where are the only ones making any pretence at rationality? Inclusivity. Surely there must be other hidden motivations and/or ones that will for now remain only known to Her Excellency and her inner circle.
“A strategic effort to strengthen the eighth administration and ensure that government programmes result in ‘tangible improvements’ for all Namibians,” she further explained regarding the appointments. Perhaps with time the real reasons for the appointments shall become clear and understandable, or better perhaps the matter is sooner forgotten and no longer an issue if ever an issue it was and should be.
But as of now there’s little to make one believe, without any circumspection, the reasons given so far and/or take them on face value. As the National Council Secretary tried to rationalise the appointments on the national broadcaster’s News at Eight, the Saturday after Good Friday, the more he tried to explain, the more shady the appointments were becoming. As much as they may not have been intended to become shady, they are transpiring and evolving as such.
Often appointments by Their Excellencies are their prerogatives. Believably, they make their best judgements. But as far as they are concerned, they do not provide room for many questions and suspicions.
Without any satisfactory answers for that matter. Followed by confused, if not irrelevant and wayward, rationalisations as per the attempts of the said NC’s bureaucrat. Citing the obvious, such as deputy ministers being appointed from members of the National Council. Granted, but does it mean any Tom, Dick and Harry from the National Council? It simply cannot be, but the member(s) in question must have proved herself or himself or themselves in one way or another. Including their political allegiance, which in this context goes without saying.
But political allegiance given, something else must be added that goes beyond mere political allegiance. The various appointees are going to be in charge of ministries, some which are technical. As much as ministers and deputies are political heads, they must, needless to say, have the requisite aptitude to be able to grasp the technicalities of the said ministries.
Not to mention navigating bureaucratic storm waters. Or worse, institutional and/or party politicking, some petty, some real. Notwithstanding that they usually have at their disposal and to their benefit capable and expert bureaucrats in these ministries. Given the obvious lack of grounding in the would-be technical nature of the ministries, it is difficult to see how they can and would be able to deliver. In view of the emphasis and business-unusual disposition of Her Excellency.
There’s perhaps a harsher reality than many would want to admit. The shallowness of the pool from which Her Excellency, either from the National Council or the National Assembly, could assemble her executive team. As much as this is and may be an inhibition, there’s also no denying that political consideration and loyalty, more than anything else, do play a big role. Within the Swapo Party of Namibia, as would be in any political party and/or formation, there could be and should be no denial, precarious and sensitive and volatile times, that politics, more than anything else, is the name of the game. More often than not, DIRTY.
The dust has by any means as yet not settled. The Swapo Party is still without a vice president. As much as the country has a vice president, it is not and cannot be automatic that she will ultimately become the vice president. Subsequently, the president of the party and thus the presidential candidate with the next presidential and National Assembly elections in 2029. Until then it is not unrealistic to expect and see some internal rumblings, wrestling and wrangling, if not storms, within the party. Thus, even the latest appointments and many more still to come cannot but also be seen within the context of the unsettled, if not brewing, political atmosphere in the party leading to the party’s elective congress next year.
Each and every ministry of the ones to which deputy ministers have been appointed lately is important in its own essence, integrity and intrinsicality.
The new appointees would have to juggle the three. How they can do justice to all without doing injustice to the other, if not all, is beyond understanding. Yours Truly Ideologically cannot but foresee their constituencies suffering in this regard. Some of them have been returned as constituency councillors to finish what they started during their first terms in office. Not to mention that they have been re-elected based on their promises and pledges to their constituents. With added responsibilities it is just as good that they are betraying their mandates.
With no prospects whatsoever, if any, of ever compensating in their new roles for the void that is most likely going to be left in their constituencies. With the inhabitants of the constituencies, in all probability, they now have to brace and brave themselves for neglect and marginalisation.
Ordinarily, in view of the given scenario, what should be transpiring is a by-election for the inhabitants of the constituencies so affected to elect a new councillor who is going to attend to their needs full-time. But this is not the case with the inhabitants of the constituencies sacrificed on the altar of political expediency and personal political ambitions.
