Pohamba provided with official escort, opposition outraged

IN a move that has infuriated opposition parties, Government has beefed up security around Swapo presidential candidate Hifikepunye Pohamba by providing him with an official escort.

Since yesterday, Lands Minister Pohamba whom many consider as the likely successor to President Sam Nujoma when he steps down next year, has started to travel in a motorcade escorted by traffic officers – a privilege currently only enjoyed by the Head of State, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. The move has irked some opposition parties and they are questioning whether their presidential candidates would be accorded the same treatment.”That’s absolutely ridiculous.He [Pohamba] does not deserve it.He is still just an ordinary citizen like anybody else,” reacted DTA President Katuutire Kaura.”Who knows if Pohamba is going to be the next president… all of us are presidential aspirants.Are we going to get the same treatment [official escort]?” Kaura charged that by extending “special treatment” to the Swapo candidate ahead of the national elections, “the Government is in fact telling the people that he [Pohamba] is the only one, there is no one else”.The leader of the Congress of Democrats (CoD), Ben Ulenga, described the move as “completely outrageous”.”He [Pohamba] is nothing more, nothing less than Hifikepunye Pohamba,” said the CoD leader, who accused the media of having created the hype around Pohamba by portraying him as the automatic ‘heir to the throne’ before he even competes with candidates from other political parties.Ulenga argued that right now there was no formal presidential candidate until the Electoral Commission declared the campaign for the upcoming election open and asked political parties to submit the names of their candidates.For his part, the National Unity Democratic Organisation’s (Nudo) President, Kuaima Riruako, said that the Government move to increase Pohamba’s security would be fair as long as it was extended to all presidential candidates.”Look at countries like the United States [of America] where all candidates are provided with security by the State – in our country this has not been happening but during campaigns things can happen,” Riruako said.Other potential presidential candidates like Justus Garoeb and Kosie Pretorius of the United Democratic Front and Monitor Action Group respectively, could not be reached for comment yesterday as they were travelling to the North with other parliamentarians.The Police did not deny or confirm the official escort for Pohamba, but preferred to remain tight-lipped on the rationale for the decision.When asked about reasons for giving Pohamba an official escort, a certain Deputy Commissioner Kashihakumwa, who purportedly handles matters related to VIP security, said: “It is difficult for me to give that answer, let our Public Relations Unit answer that.”But Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu of the PR Unit retorted: “That issue is out of my bounds.I cannot comment.”The Namibian has learned from sources that the municipality’s Traffic Department was officially instructed on Tuesday to start escorting the Lands Minister.Sources close to the department said that it would be stretched to the limit because of a lack of adequate manpower.The move has irked some opposition parties and they are questioning whether their presidential candidates would be accorded the same treatment.”That’s absolutely ridiculous.He [Pohamba] does not deserve it.He is still just an ordinary citizen like anybody else,” reacted DTA President Katuutire Kaura.”Who knows if Pohamba is going to be the next president… all of us are presidential aspirants.Are we going to get the same treatment [official escort]?” Kaura charged that by extending “special treatment” to the Swapo candidate ahead of the national elections, “the Government is in fact telling the people that he [Pohamba] is the only one, there is no one else”.The leader of the Congress of Democrats (CoD), Ben Ulenga, described the move as “completely outrageous”.”He [Pohamba] is nothing more, nothing less than Hifikepunye Pohamba,” said the CoD leader, who accused the media of having created the hype around Pohamba by portraying him as the automatic ‘heir to the throne’ before he even competes with candidates from other political parties.Ulenga argued that right now there was no formal presidential candidate until the Electoral Commission declared the campaign for the upcoming election open and asked political parties to submit the names of their candidates.For his part, the National Unity Democratic Organisation’s (Nudo) President, Kuaima Riruako, said that the Government move to increase Pohamba’s security would be fair as long as it was extended to all presidential candidates.”Look at countries like the United States [of America] where all candidates are provided with security by the State – in our country this has not been happening but during campaigns things can happen,” Riruako said.Other potential presidential candidates like Justus Garoeb and Kosie Pretorius of the United Democratic Front and Monitor Action Group respectively, could not be reached for comment yesterday as they were travelling to the North with other parliamentarians.The Police did not deny or confirm the official escort for Pohamba, but preferred to remain tight-lipped on the rationale for the decision.When asked about reasons for giving Pohamba an official escort, a certain Deputy Commissioner Kashihakumwa, who purportedly handles matters related to VIP security, said: “It is difficult for me to give that answer, let our Public Relations Unit answer that.”But Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu of the PR Unit retorted: “That issue is out of my bounds.I cannot comment.”The Namibian has learned from sources that the municipality’s Traffic Department was officially instructed on Tuesday to start escorting the Lands Minister.Sources close to the department said that it would be stretched to the limit because of a lack of adequate manpower.