SO the President finally got to Pohamba! Must have if the Swapo Vice President and Lands Minister has now decided to run for the Presidency when it was an open secret that he really wanted to retire.
And even if he protests to the contrary with the usual Swapo-speak that he’s always ready to serve his country and his people when called upon to do so, we know it’s not really what he wants. EVEN in the midst of much conjecture about a Presidential successor, I continue to maintain my earlier stance that the incumbent will only stand down if Hifikepunye Pohamba agrees to the nomination.Now the question of course is whether other Presidential hopefuls will come out of the closet and declare their interest, or whether they’ll be intimidated into silence and submission and support the President’s choice regardless of how they really feel about it.I suppose ‘President Pohamba’ has a certain ring to it, but I’m sure there’s a majority feeling that the Swapo Vice President, however amenable and likable he may be, just hasn’t got what it takes to be head of state.At least not an autonomous one, and there will be few people who will believe he’s making his own decisions if and when he ever gets the country’s top job! Somewhere perhaps there’s a strategy at work that I haven’t yet cottoned onto.I’m also somewhat baffled as to why the Swapo Vice President chose the medium of the Afrikaans language daily to inform the people of his decision to make himself available as a Presidential candidate! But time will tell what’s behind it.Pohamba, if he is the one, will be very accommodating to his predecessor and consult him on just about everything.We should be in no doubt as to who’s the boss when and if he takes over.Other prospective candidates, as I’ve said before, may prefer to make their own decisions and their own choices, and alienate the former President, because they want to be ‘their own man’.This is most likely the one thing that does not sit well with President Nujoma, because there is little doubt, that even if he stands down, he would like to continue having his say.In fact he might find it hard not to when he has presided over Swapo since its formation in 1960, and over the country since its independence in 1990.Having had so much power, and this applies to most people, it must be awfully hard to let go and stand back.In some ways it is even perhaps understandable.There is no doubt that the issue of the country’s stability is close to the President’s heart, and he may feel that his continued presence, in one way or another, is essential for it; and likewise a rift, real or perceived, between himself and a successor, would not augur well for either party or national unity (at least in the perceptions of some).And while this may touch on how the President feels about things, it does not necessarily mean that a candidate not sanctioned by him personally, would bring the country to wrack and ruin.He has a responsibility, clearly, to abide by the wishes of the ruling party on this issue, even if they do make a choice which is not his own, and to give his full support to his successor.The choice remains his as to whether the handover of power is a smooth and unruffled one, and this depends on whether he foists his decision on others, or allows the voice of the people of the Party to speak out on their wishes.If the latter happens, then it will certainly contribute to a growth in the maturity of the ruling party, in particular, and our democracy in general.We don’t need an all-powerful, autocratic head of state, and perhaps it is now time to break with the tradition of the past, for there are few candidates who could wield sufficient power to follow in Nujoma’s footsteps in this regard.But we do need a President who will lead by good example.Let’s hope we can find him or her!EVEN in the midst of much conjecture about a Presidential successor, I continue to maintain my earlier stance that the incumbent will only stand down if Hifikepunye Pohamba agrees to the nomination. Now the question of course is whether other Presidential hopefuls will come out of the closet and declare their interest, or whether they’ll be intimidated into silence and submission and support the President’s choice regardless of how they really feel about it. I suppose ‘President Pohamba’ has a certain ring to it, but I’m sure there’s a majority feeling that the Swapo Vice President, however amenable and likable he may be, just hasn’t got what it takes to be head of state. At least not an autonomous one, and there will be few people who will believe he’s making his own decisions if and when he ever gets the country’s top job! Somewhere perhaps there’s a strategy at work that I haven’t yet cottoned onto. I’m also somewhat baffled as to why the Swapo Vice President chose the medium of the Afrikaans language daily to inform the people of his decision to make himself available as a Presidential candidate! But time will tell what’s behind it. Pohamba, if he is the one, will be very accommodating to his predecessor and consult him on just about everything. We should be in no doubt as to who’s the boss when and if he takes over. Other prospective candidates, as I’ve said before, may prefer to make their own decisions and their own choices, and alienate the former President, because they want to be ‘their own man’. This is most likely the one thing that does not sit well with President Nujoma, because there is little doubt, that even if he stands down, he would like to continue having his say. In fact he might find it hard not to when he has presided over Swapo since its formation in 1960, and over the country since its independence in 1990. Having had so much power, and this applies to most people, it must be awfully hard to let go and stand back. In some ways it is even perhaps understandable. There is no doubt that the issue of the country’s stability is close to the President’s heart, and he may feel that his continued presence, in one way or another, is essential for it; and likewise a rift, real or perceived, between himself and a successor, would not augur well for either party or national unity (at least in the perceptions of some). And while this may touch on how the President feels about things, it does not necessarily mean that a candidate not sanctioned by him personally, would bring the country to wrack and ruin. He has a responsibility, clearly, to abide by the wishes of the ruling party on this issue, even if they do make a choice which is not his own, and to give his full support to his successor. The choice remains his as to whether the handover of power is a smooth and unruffled one, and this depends on whether he foists his decision on others, or allows the voice of the people of the Party to speak out on their wishes. If the latter happens, then it will certainly contribute to a growth in the maturity of the ruling party, in particular, and our democracy in general. We don’t need an all-powerful, autocratic head of state, and perhaps it is now time to break with the tradition of the past, for there are few candidates who could wield sufficient power to follow in Nujoma’s footsteps in this regard. But we do need a President who will lead by good example. Let’s hope we can find him or her!
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