Nujoma, Greed and Systemic Corruption

SAM Shafiishuna Nujoma is arguably Namibia’s political patron saint. From when he led Swapo during apartheid until he retired in 2005, many, if not most, Namibians perceive him to be an icon who can do no wrong. And Nujoma has mostly done right by Namibia, indeed.

But if there is one major weakness our founding President has failed to work on, it is the inability to say “thanks, but no thanks”. Instead, Nujoma would take and accept just about anything that he is offered. This tendency has undoubtedly given the impression of greed, and that’s a sad way of looking at someone who for about 30 years led the war for liberation against powerful enemies without the expectation of rewards.

The latest report is that the government is building Nujoma a house costing more than N$20 million (perhaps even much more considering that former President Hifikepunye Pohamba recently got a retirement house as a gift from the state worth over N$35 million).

The report in this newspaper said that Nujoma’s old house, given to him by Swapo on the outskirts of the capital, has already been demolished and a new one is to be erected in its place.

If unnamed sources close to the founding President are to be believed, Nujoma did not want the state to spend any more money on his residential accommodation. In fact, John Nauta, his aide, told The Namibian a couple of years ago that Nujoma had refused a government offer to build him a N$20 million house at the time of retirement.

So, why has he allowed the latest spending?

We believe the 86-year-old Nujoma should have insisted on frugality and not allow the state to spend lavishly on his accommodation needs.

As it is, we understand that as much as N$5 million has already been splurged on renovating a property in Windhoek’s Eros suburb, ostensibly to have Nujoma relocate there while his house is being built anew. Only after the outlay, was it found that the temporary dwelling was unsuitable because of security concerns.

Nujoma, being the great icon that he is, should help the country appreciate that our resources are scarce and should be used sparingly. People still hold him in high regard and he can set a tone for our young country more than any other political leader.

From accepting study bursaries, private donations of houses and other material goods for himself, to taking municipal land away from a multi-purpose youth sports centre, Nujoma has not been sending out the right message. Greed is what comes to mind when someone who has everything keeps taking and accepting any offer.

And why at this stage of our nation, a decade after Nujoma has retired even from active politics, is there the need for a massive upgrade of security detail?

We smell a rat.

It is an open secret that senior government bureaucrats have been increasingly “making up” projects, especially the construction of buildings worth hundreds of millions and billions of dollars, as a way to pay themselves handsomely through kickbacks.

Officials have over the past several years got the state to pay for projects, whose need and urgency has been suspect (Neckertal dam, fuel storage, more and more office buildings, new railway extensions, road and other infrastructure).

Namibians would have noticed that many politicians and top government employees (permanent secretaries, directors etc…) have suddenly struck it rich with an ability to buy farms almost on a cash basis and other property in towns around the country, as well as live lavishly without any clear indication of where their new riches may have come from.

People like our founding President Nujoma should be alert to these forms of systemic corruption to avoid being complicit and in order not to send the wrong signals that Namibia’s meagre state resources are up for conspicuous consumption.

He should instead say “thanks, but no thanks”.

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