PRESIDENT Hage Geingob yesterday defended Namibia ‘s relationship with the Democratic People ‘s Republic of Korea, saying it dates back to before independence when they were (Plan) freedom fighters.
He was answering questions during his State of the Nation Address in the National Assembly when he said the two sovereign states had entered trade agreements before North Korea was put under sanctions.
He confirmed that the munitions factory was just one of the projects the two countries embarked on, which included the construction of State House.
The President defended the country ‘s foreign policy, and said Namibia is friends to everybody and enemies to none.
He said the country is a product of international solidarity birthed by the United Nations, and that the government complied with UN requirements when it had to ask Korean representatives in Namibia to leave.
Geingob was responding to DTA president McHenry Venaani, who wanted to know why Namibia could be friends with North Korean president Kim Jong-un, whose human rights record is poor and who is known for hanging his political opponents.
Venaani also asked whether Geingob would not lead the country into UN sanctions.
The President defended the construction of the new parliament building, saying it will be a monument.
Geingob moaned that the country does not have African monuments, and yet he sees German monuments all over the country. He asked why no one wants to see African monuments.
“Now you don ‘t want us to create our own monuments?” he asked, adding that he wants parliament to be respected as well as the MPs.
The President once more washed his hands off the issue, saying the decision to build a new parliament is not new as it was decided by the last parliament under former Speaker Theo-Ben Gurirab.
He asked why MPs were asking about the issue now, yet the issue had already been decided.
Geingob, however, acknowledged that the cost of the building had escalated, adding that prices are inflated when government is the client.
The discussion around the genocide on the Ovaherero and Nama by the Germans was also brought up, but Geingob insisted that it is a government-to-government problem.
He said even before he took over as President, government had been trying to address the issue with the German government.
He furthermore made it clear that he is dealing with the genocide issue as a Namibian problem and the victims of the genocide as Namibians, and not as tribal groups, after giving a history of what government had done so far on the issue.
On a lighter note, the President confirmed that he is open to suggestions and proposals on how the issue should be dealt with.
He also assured Swanu president Usutuaije Maamberua that he is open to the MP ‘s call for government to consider setting a Genocide Day aside on the national calender with the possibility of making it a public holiday.
Geingob, however, avoided adequately answering questions regarding his government ‘s transparency, and how much his team of advisers earn.
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