Full Marks For President Pohamba, But…

I AM one of those people who were initially seduced by President Pohamba when he took office in 2004.

I even went far as pronouncing, based at least on what he said, that we were in the process of witnessing a new method. However, like many, I was somewhat disenchanted with what followed these determined statements on an array of issues, of which service delivery and the fight against graft appeared to be the leitmotif of his leadership.The President was rather timid in his reaction on the issues that he said we would act on.The fight against corruption faded from his political rhetoric.He spoke about a Namibia in which “no one is left behind”.But the succeeding years that followed didn’t speak about the urgency of a Namibia in which no one is left behind.In defence of President Pohamba, some argued that he needed both State House and the Party Headquarters to be effective as a leader.He ultimately got the Party last year.In a symbolic sense, I must admit that the zenith of my disillusion came when the President chose the wrong casting and the wrong message to celebrate our landmark 18th anniversary of independence.In that regard, I was particularly harsh with the President and the political elite.I complained specifically about the absence of any message for the youth, and in general, a mobilising vision for the country.Quite frankly, there is no sense of urgency in the manner in which the President goes about government business.Such is evident when thousand of workers are left immediately on the streets as in the case of Ramatex.No statement on the part of the President or even the Prime Minister to provide a sense of direction about their fate and how government would attend to them.In countries like France, the President or the Prime Minister, in short government leaders, would be first on the scene.Be that as it may, last week was arguably President Pohamba’s best week in office and once again raised our expectations.One would say full marks for the President, both in terms of the intentions and also for the means the President put at his disposal.With a few exceptions, the Cabinet reshuffle was positive in the sense that the President roped into his cabinet critical skills in Dr Geingob and Prof Katjavivi.The President also delivered in the same week what was arguably his best state of the nation address.It was in the right tone, and most importantly integrated a significant component about the youth of this country.We hope that such momentum will not be lost in a business as usual attitude.These means are merely tactical and they perhaps do not speak about any long-term trends in his leadership.We may get into a second lull again.In fact, there is no plausible explanation why this reshuffle didn’t come immediately after his election as Party President.Again, it may take a while for the President to see a new man or woman in Berlin.Ordinarily, these are appointments that should be made within the same week.And this has to do with the leadership style President Pohamba has come to project.His consensus building can have a debilitating effect on the system’s ability to perform and to escape from tactical political considerations.It could also reflect indecision on the part of the President.Ours is still a “social state” in the process of reconfiguring what it represents to the citizens and the institutions which compose it.Strong and responsive leadership is needed at all levels.If President Pohamba is going for a second term, we need strategic orientations of what Namibia must look like under his leadership.Is the State being strengthened or is it capitulating under the small tactical kitchen of party-politics and becoming a weak Leviathan? Are there effective responses to deal with the worst excesses of globalisation (rising cost of living, social exclusion) and the concomitant difficult years facing ordinary Namibians? Globalisation must influence a particular conception of what it means to be Namibian state.Because in the words of the World Bank, “globalisation is a threat to weak or capriciously governed states, but it also opens the way for effective, disciplined states to foster development and economic wellbeing”.Citizens elect leaders to provide responses through decisive leadership and deliver services through robust institutions.Vision and urgency are the most effective tools, which must become part of President Pohamba’s leadership toolkit.* Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari is a PhD fellow in political science at the University of Paris-Panthéon Sorbonne, France.However, like many, I was somewhat disenchanted with what followed these determined statements on an array of issues, of which service delivery and the fight against graft appeared to be the leitmotif of his leadership.The President was rather timid in his reaction on the issues that he said we would act on.The fight against corruption faded from his political rhetoric.He spoke about a Namibia in which “no one is left behind”.But the succeeding years that followed didn’t speak about the urgency of a Namibia in which no one is left behind.In defence of President Pohamba, some argued that he needed both State House and the Party Headquarters to be effective as a leader.He ultimately got the Party last year.In a symbolic sense, I must admit that the zenith of my disillusion came when the President chose the wrong casting and the wrong message to celebrate our landmark 18th anniversary of independence.In that regard, I was particularly harsh with the President and the political elite.I complained specifically about the absence of any message for the youth, and in general, a mobilising vision for the country.Quite frankly, there is no sense of urgency in the manner in which the President goes about government business.Such is evident when thousand of workers are left immediately on the streets as in the case of Ramatex.No statement on the part of the President or even the Prime Minister to provide a sense of direction about their fate and how government would attend to them.In countries like France, the President or the Prime Minister, in short government leaders, would be first on the scene.Be that as it may, last week was arguably President Pohamba’s best week in office and once again raised our expectations.One would say full marks for the President, both in terms of the intentions and also for the means the President put at his disposal.With a few exceptions, the Cabinet reshuffle was positive in the sense that the President roped into his cabinet critical skills in Dr Geingob and Prof Katjavivi.The President also delivered in the same week what was arguably his best state of the nation address.It was in the right tone, and most importantly integrated a significant component about the youth of this country.We hope that such momentum will not be lost in a business as usual attitude.These means are merely tactical and they perhaps do not speak about any long-term trends in his leadership.We may get into a second lull again.In fact, there is no plausible explanation why this reshuffle didn’t come immediately after his election as Party President.Again, it may take a while for the President to see a new man or woman in Berlin.Ordinarily, these are appointments that should be made within the same week.And this has to do with the leadership style President Pohamba has come to project.His consensus building can have a debilitating effect on the system’s ability to perform and to escape from tactical political considerations.It could also reflect indecision on the part of the President.Ours is still a “social state” in the process of reconfiguring what it represents to the citizens and the institutions which compose it.Strong and responsive leadership is needed at all levels.If President Pohamba is going for a second term, we need strategic orientations of what Namibia must look like under his leadership.Is the State being strengthened or is it capitulating under the small tactical kitchen of party-politics and becoming a weak Leviathan? Are there effective responses to deal with the worst excesses of globalisation (rising cost
of living, social exclusion) and the concomitant difficult years facing ordinary Namibians? Globalisation must influence a particular conception of what it means to be Namibian state.Because in the words of the World Bank, “globalisation is a threat to weak or capriciously governed states, but it also opens the way for effective, disciplined states to foster development and economic wellbeing”.Citizens elect leaders to provide responses through decisive leadership and deliver services through robust institutions.Vision and urgency are the most effective tools, which must become part of President Pohamba’s leadership toolkit. * Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari is a PhD fellow in political science at the University of Paris-Panthéon Sorbonne, France.

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