CoD congratulates Hamutenya and Mbuende on foreign policy

PRAISE by the Congress of Democrats for the former Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya and his former deputy Kaire Mbuende for coming up with the White Paper on Namibia’s Foreign Policy was met with a certain degree of disdain by Swapo parliamentarians in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Swapo MPs laughed when CoD MP Elizabeth Amukugo described the document as the “combined brainpower” of the pair who were ousted from their posts by President Sam Nujoma last month. In March, Hamutenya presented the document to the House and opened the floor for debate and discussion.”Its tabling brought to an end the days when the Foreign Affairs Policy was kept in a few persons’ heads, causing different interpretations to the complex rules and procedures applicable to the foreign affairs paradigm,” Amukugo said.Swapo MPs grumbled when Amukugo said the policy was “one of the best documents the Swapo Government has ever produced”.She added that the quality of the document proved that it “pays to put the right people in the right place.”Hamutenya and Mbuende were not in the National Assembly when this year’s second session started after a month in recess.Amukugo, however, raised concern about whether the language used in the document would be easily understood by a layman.She also claimed that the policy was “over ambitious” in talking of poverty eradication as opposed to poverty alleviation.”This holds true especially in our situation where after 14 years of independence the poor have grown poorer and the rich wealthier; and where 50 per cent of our population today live under the poverty line,” Amukugo said.She further took issue with Namibia’s involvement in the wars in the DRC and Angola, claiming that they were inconsistent with the policy.Amukugo maintained that the lines were blurred with regard to the separation of the Executive and Legislature claiming that the ruling party appeared to be both.Amukugo added that Namibia’s foreign policy had to reflect its domestic policy and be consistent with national values.”We can, for example, not pride ourselves with democratic values based on a unique Constitution and then fraternise with the likes of Sani Abacha,” she said.In March, Hamutenya presented the document to the House and opened the floor for debate and discussion.”Its tabling brought to an end the days when the Foreign Affairs Policy was kept in a few persons’ heads, causing different interpretations to the complex rules and procedures applicable to the foreign affairs paradigm,” Amukugo said.Swapo MPs grumbled when Amukugo said the policy was “one of the best documents the Swapo Government has ever produced”.She added that the quality of the document proved that it “pays to put the right people in the right place.”Hamutenya and Mbuende were not in the National Assembly when this year’s second session started after a month in recess.Amukugo, however, raised concern about whether the language used in the document would be easily understood by a layman.She also claimed that the policy was “over ambitious” in talking of poverty eradication as opposed to poverty alleviation.”This holds true especially in our situation where after 14 years of independence the poor have grown poorer and the rich wealthier; and where 50 per cent of our population today live under the poverty line,” Amukugo said.She further took issue with Namibia’s involvement in the wars in the DRC and Angola, claiming that they were inconsistent with the policy.Amukugo maintained that the lines were blurred with regard to the separation of the Executive and Legislature claiming that the ruling party appeared to be both.Amukugo added that Namibia’s foreign policy had to reflect its domestic policy and be consistent with national values.”We can, for example, not pride ourselves with democratic values based on a unique Constitution and then fraternise with the likes of Sani Abacha,” she said.