Festus Nakatana
President Hage Geingob has started his second and final term as head of state with some bold Cabinet appointments, while appointing a 23-year-old as deputy minister.
In another surprise, Geingob also appointed Nudo president Esther Utjiua Muinjangue as deputy health minister. There were no ministerial positions for the likes of Alpheus !Naruseb, Penda Ya Ndakolo, Erkki Nghimtina, Stanley Simataa, Zephania Kameeta, Martin Andjaba and Tjekero Tweya.
Geingob handed the crucial finance minister post to governor of the Bank of Namibia Ipumbu Shiimi, while moving Calle Schlettwein, a trained biologist, to the merged agriculture, water and land reform ministry.
Geingob retained deputy prime minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as international relations minister, while he also announced former navy chief and current executive director in the defence ministry Peter Hafeni Vilho as minister responsible for defence and veterans affairs. Former land reform minister Utoni Nujoma has been handed the labour ministry.
Geingob also promoted deputy education minister Anna Nghipondoka to a full ministerial position. Another promotion went to Lucia Iipumbu who takes over from Tweya as industrialisation and trade minister. The head of state also announced Law Reform and Development Commission of Namibia chairperson Yvonne Dausab as minister of justice, while Agnes Tjongarero has been promoted to youth and sport minister. Her former superior at the ministry of sport, Erastus Uutoni, has been appointed as urban and rural development minister. He takes over the void left by Peya Mushelenga who has now been redeployed to the ministry of information and communication technology.
Mushelenga is deputised by the youthful Emma Theofilus, who was part of the eight officials nominated by Geingob for the National Assembly. Attorney general Albert Kawana has been named as fisheries minister. Kawana has been in the same portfolio following the resignation of former minister Bernhard Esau who is implicated in the unfolding Fishrot scandal. Doreen Sioka will also head both the gender equality and poverty eradication and social welfare components under the Presidency.
Christine /Hoebes is now the minister in the Presidency. The other ministers that were retained include Pohamba Shifeta (tourism), Leon Jooste (public enterprises), Itah Kandjii-Murangi (higher education), John Mutorwa (works), Dr Kalumbi Shangula (health) and Tom Alweendo (mines and energy). Most of the deputy ministers were not retained, with Geingob opting for seven new deputies.
The ministries of finance, justice, tourism, public enterprises and higher education have no deputy ministers. The new deputy ministers include Jennely Matundu (international relations), Daniel Kashikola (home affairs), Hilma Nicanor (defence), Verna Sinimbo (industrialisation), Anna Shiweda (agriculture), Derek Klazen (urban and rural development), Faustina Caley (education), Veikko Nekundi (works), Kornelia Shilunga (mines), Sylvia Makgone (fisheries), Hafeni Ndemula (labour) and Emma Kantema-Gaomas (sport). Former tourism deputy minister Bernadette Jagger is now the deputy minister of gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare. Two other deputy minister positions went to Alexia Manombe-Ncube (disability affairs) and Royal /Ui/o/oo (marginalised communities). Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) CEO Festus Mbandeka has been named attorney general, while former intelligence executive director Bennedict Likando is the new director general of the spy agency, taking over from Philemon Malima. Former economic planning minister Obeth Kandjoze has been appointed director general of planning. As part of his eight nominees for the National Assembly, Geingob had appointed Shiimi, Kantema-Gaomas, Nekundi, former Erongo chief regional officer Natalia Goagoses, Shangula, Vilho, Dausab and Theofilus.