Hamutenya Is The Right Man

THE prevailing silence on the issue of succession must be rejected without fear.

I tend to agree with Mr. Kandetu’s argument (The Race for Succession, New Era, 10-11-03) that the “political landscape is too quiet for comfort about the future of the country…even more so when …….it has been reported that the incumbent is stepping down”. The first president of our country has announced his retirement in accordance with the country’s supreme law, a social contract of exceptional quality.While we continue to recite our appreciation in respect of his sustained commitment and dedication to our cause, our (together with him) focus and attention is being called onto the next person to succeed this great son of the soil and principal foot soldier of the dreams of our great ancestors.The question of a worthy successor begs for an answer.This is no mean task, however, calm and peaceful some in our midst would want us to be.It is a gigantic task that other successful nations have dealt with openly and in accordance with democratic principles.Change of whatever nature and magnitude is very crucial to any given society.If not handled properly, it tends to breed regenerative tendencies difficult to comprehend.Change is of such a nature that it must be debated and controlled by those it affects, unless we hope for leaders whose abilities are bound to fail the test of time, as has been the case with Zambia and DRC.On the other hand, an individual attempt at change (however the intention and machineries involved) has proved to be unreflective of modern day diverse societies with diverse thinking, as has been projected by the recent Kenyan letdown.If our independence and the insertion of the sunset third term clause has been a national effort, surely succession ought to be.Our democratic society ought not to allow itself the agony of the silence prevailing at the moment.There should be well-co-ordinated and open efforts without the usual excessive feeding of the ‘regime of rumour mongering’.Consensus of purpose will only be achieved after we have engaged ourselves in the dichotomy of a give and take, a reflection of our march hitherto.Silence tends to be wrongly equated with understanding and agreement.My honest opinion and wish is that the Swapo Party and the Namibian nation should allow a man like Hidipo Hamutenya to be the next president of this country.The challenges and opportunities ahead await an intellectual and thinker of exceptional qualities ready to turn our dreams in to realities.Hamutenya has been and continues to display qualities of a statesmanship.His track record has been of a leader whose vision has been national and eager to give meaning to the maxim of serving the people.A forward-looking society tends to reward top performers, and our society is forward-looking.Hamutenya has been a top performer all along.- Razikua J Kaumbi – Via e-mailThe first president of our country has announced his retirement in accordance with the country’s supreme law, a social contract of exceptional quality. While we continue to recite our appreciation in respect of his sustained commitment and dedication to our cause, our (together with him) focus and attention is being called onto the next person to succeed this great son of the soil and principal foot soldier of the dreams of our great ancestors. The question of a worthy successor begs for an answer. This is no mean task, however, calm and peaceful some in our midst would want us to be. It is a gigantic task that other successful nations have dealt with openly and in accordance with democratic principles. Change of whatever nature and magnitude is very crucial to any given society. If not handled properly, it tends to breed regenerative tendencies difficult to comprehend. Change is of such a nature that it must be debated and controlled by those it affects, unless we hope for leaders whose abilities are bound to fail the test of time, as has been the case with Zambia and DRC. On the other hand, an individual attempt at change (however the intention and machineries involved) has proved to be unreflective of modern day diverse societies with diverse thinking, as has been projected by the recent Kenyan letdown. If our independence and the insertion of the sunset third term clause has been a national effort, surely succession ought to be. Our democratic society ought not to allow itself the agony of the silence prevailing at the moment. There should be well-co-ordinated and open efforts without the usual excessive feeding of the ‘regime of rumour mongering’. Consensus of purpose will only be achieved after we have engaged ourselves in the dichotomy of a give and take, a reflection of our march hitherto. Silence tends to be wrongly equated with understanding and agreement. My honest opinion and wish is that the Swapo Party and the Namibian nation should allow a man like Hidipo Hamutenya to be the next president of this country. The challenges and opportunities ahead await an intellectual and thinker of exceptional qualities ready to turn our dreams in to realities. Hamutenya has been and continues to display qualities of a statesmanship. His track record has been of a leader whose vision has been national and eager to give meaning to the maxim of serving the people. A forward-looking society tends to reward top performers, and our society is forward-looking. Hamutenya has been a top performer all along.- Razikua J Kaumbi – Via e-mail