WINDHOEK - State House has revealed despite a series of recent media reports that insinuated the Founding Father of the Nation Sam Nujoma benefitted illegally from a presidential housing scheme, Nujoma has a sense of frugality because he turned down a state-funded party for his 90th birthday.
“The Government of the Republic of Namibia had planned to organize on 12 May 2019, the 90th birthday celebrations for the Founding President Dr Sam Nujoma. But due to the Founding President’s sense of frugality, the Founding President indicated that in light of the prevailing economic conditions and the drought, it would be best not to spend government resources for a birthday celebration. It is a demonstration of the duty of care, the Founding President has for the Namibian people,” stated Presidential Press Secretary Dr Alfredo Hengari.
“The truth will always prevail, and the Namibian people shall not be misled and shall triumph against the centrifugal forces of disunity,” Hengari said in reference to a group of people behind the anonymous and sinister media leaks that are apparently intended to drive a wedge between President Hage Geingob and the Founding Father.
Hengari said in 2005, Parliament enacted Act 16 of 2005, the Conferment of Status of Founding Father of the Namibian Nation Act as it took cognizance of the extra- ordinary contributions made by Nujoma for the attainment of independence and the country’s socio-economic development.
The decision to conduct a feasibility study for major renovations, upgrading of the entire residency of Nujoma’s residence amounting to N$42,7 million was made on 14 February 2014 by the Cabinet Committee on Defence, Security and International Relations, of which President Geingob was not a member when he was still the Prime Minister, Hengari explained, adding Geingob, “ found the issue of the renovation and upgrading of the house of the Founding Father in process and at an advanced stage, even before he became Prime Minister in December 2012. “
Hengari also stated, “The President has been aware for a long time, that certain individuals have been insistent and resolute in their determination to use each and every contentious issue as a springboard to try to build a wedge between the Founding President and President Geingob.”
“This is bound to fail, just as it has always failed in the past. Let us recall that it was the same cohort of rabble rousers who once asserted that President Geingob was intending to hand over Comrade Nujoma to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Therefore, the notion that President Geingob, who is a mainstay in the leadership of Swapo, would want to hand over Comrade Nujoma to the ICC is an argument that defies any logic. That lie did not wash.”
“What these misinformed individuals failed to understand is the fact that it was only President Geingob and the late Comrade Theo-Ben Gurirab who in defence of the Founding Father addressed the issue of spies and dungeons in Parliament. Those, whose aim is to cause division and conflict within the ruling party, have never been perturbed by their chronic lack of reasoning. These were the same individuals, who even claimed that the Presidency had forgotten about the Founding Father by not providing him with accommodation saying that, “Sam Nujoma is in the streets.”