Lahja Nashuuta
When Marlayn Mbakera resigned from a well-paying job to stand as councillor in a by-election, eight months before the election, those close to her thought she had lost it.
But she won the by-election.
And she keeps on winning, with a seat in the next parliament a distinct possibility, as she rapidly rises through the governing party’s ranks.
Her entry into the dog-eat-dog world of Namibian politics was a leap of faith for the outgoing chairperson of the Otjozondjupa Regional Council, she said. And the naysayers were at hand to remind her of a looming fate. In their eyes, it was all doom and gloom for Mbakera, who was relatively new to active politics.
“I left my office to contest the Otjiwarongo by-election. People asked why I was leaving a good job for a temporary one – one that would last for only eight months and was not even paying well. It was a leap of faith that I took,” Mbakera told New Era last week, professing that her salary at the municipality was way higher than what she made as councillor.
Yet, inspired by a burning desire to serve the people and the support of family, primarily her husband, she let it go.
Her gamble paid off when she won at the polls, earning herself a full five-year term as councillor. Now, the real work had to start. “I have been in the Swapo structures serving our councillors, but not really on the forefront in politics. When I got my team, the focus was on child-headed households,” Mbakera said.
This, she said, was inspired by revelations during her door-to-door campaign for the by-election that many households in Otjiwarongo were headed by children. She knew how tough it was for a child to look after another child.
This needed to be rectified.
“So, it was my plan that once I take the councillor’s office, I would take care of those households. I never knew there are so many people who were suffering, hungry and in need of shelter. For me, it was very sad to realise that in Namibia, despite us having a small population, there are so many challenges,” she stressed.
Entering politics
Mbakera has proved that she is ready to swim at the deep end when she emerged at number 18 on the women’s list at the just-concluded Swapo electoral college, while on the combined list of men and women with 10 presidential nominees, she landed on position number 46.
“When the announcement was made, it came as a shock. I am happy, I tried and got through. Now, I am ready to serve at the national level,” she said.
She entered the top echelons of Swapo through the nomination to the central committee (CC) by late president Hage Geingob. Being the highest decision-making body between congresses, the 87-member CC directly influences key government decisions and policy direction. Admittedly, her first attempt failed.
“But one day while at the village, I received a call from someone congratulating me and informing me that the President had nominated me to be there. When I heard that news, I recalled when the President once told me ‘I am following you, I can see what you are doing. Keep it up,’ but the nomination was unexpected. It was a big surprise,” Mbakera said. Being in the CC meant she automatically qualified to contest at the Swapo electoral college as a candidate.
“I decided to contest because I thought I met all the requirements. The campaign was tough, especially for some of us who were new in the system,” she said, adding that being the new kid on the block, she was not sure whether she would get votes from the delegates. As such, she lobbied more in the regions for support.
“Never underestimate the power of social and traditional media. I used those platforms in my campaign and because I have been hosting events, community meetings and I am always on the news, delegates got to know me without me knowing,” said the Otjiwarongo native who says she was raised by a single mother in a close-knit family.
In fact, her late uncle whom she describes as a seasoned politician, war veteran and first mayor of Otjiwarongo after independence, the late Manfred
/Uxamb, took her in, to assist her mother.
“Growing up in the politician’s home inspired me to be a politician,” she said, maintaining that she never planned it..
Her career of choice was social work, but she landed a job as a cashier at the Otjiwarongo Municipality instead.
“I worked for the Otjiwarongo Municipality for four years. From being a casher, to clerk, then human resources officer, to human resources manager, and by the time I resigned from the municipality, I was the executive for human resources and corporate services,” she said, adding that she studied while working and obtained a certificate and diploma in human resources, a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Honours Degree in Public Management.
Good hands
Mbakera said she was leaving the Otjozondjupa region in good hands, having worked closely with other councillors while grooming each other as a party. “We have the leaders with the interest of the people at heart because for us to help meeting the people’s needs, we need leaders who have the interest of the people ate heart,” she said.
“The community of Otjiwarongo is close to my heart. Perhaps it is because I was born and raised there, and lived among the people. I know the challenges. I attended every memorial service, assisted people to bury their loved ones, and turned around the lives of many people,” she added. The outgoing regional council chairperson said the growing number of street kids and people who live off the dumpsite was the region’s major bane.
“One day I decided to visit the dump site. What I learnt there is that people have turned the site into businesses, and not really for food. You will find some people are just there to collect cans, empty bottles and used bricks or stones. Of course, there are those scavenging for food, but the majority are there to look for the things they can sell for a little income,” she said.
“Regarding the street kids, I also did a bit of research, and I found that the majority of them are from decent houses, and that it is just ill-discipline and drug abuse that propel them to the streets,” she added. The other challenge Mbakera noted is illegal grazing at resettlement farms. Government resettlement farms are overloaded with livestock. “Of course, there is a shortage of grazing in the area and most of our farmers are settled in the corridors but there is also an illegal grazing problem here,” she said.
Way forward
On the way forward, Mbakera believes she will occupy her seat in the next parliament.
“I am packing my bags. I am currently preparing to move to Windhoek, I am certain Swapo will retain its two-thirds majority, and being at number 46 on the parliamentary list, I will be in parliament come next year,” she said.