Albertina Nakale
Windhoek
The Presidency has defended itself regarding Christopher ‘Chris’ Cox, who claimed to be President Donald Trump’s Advisor on North Africa and the Sahel Region, saying all routine verifications were conducted, as is the norm, on the role Cox plays in the United States before any appointment was granted.
This follows public criticism that President Hage Geingob allowed Cox, who is allegedly a hoax, to pay him a private visit at State House a week ago.
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) youth activist, Job Amupanda, on Monday said he had established that Cox is in fact a hoax and that the man is not Trump’s advisor nor does he hold any official position in the US government.
“There is nothing more disgusting than national lies. This man, Christopher Cox, who came to Namibia recently and presented as President Trump’s Advisor on North Africa, is actually a hoax, I have established. He is a private businessman who came to negotiate private deals at State House. To accept that government gave him VIP treatment, particularly government transport using taxpayers’ dollars, is disgusting. The gullible people have actually believed these funny games and thuggerism,” Amupanda posted on social media.
Press Secretary in the Office of the President, Albertus Aochamub, yesterday issued a statement that the Namibian Presidency can confirm that Cox is on record, and stated so emphatically during the media briefings last week that his visit to Namibia was his first and done in a private capacity.
The Presidency also said Cox also placed it on record that he does not hold a formal advisory role in the US administration but plays a role in advising informally on Europe and North Africa as and when required.
“Cox further placed it on record that he was exploring business opportunities for a range of clients (mainly from China and the US) and will be returning with a business delegation to Namibia in early 2018. He left with a better impression of Namibia after his meeting with the President, who clarified why Namibia is an attractive proposition for locating in as a gateway to the rest of the 300 million-strong SADC market,” the statement reads.
Aochamub said the President did not discuss any specific project proposals or receive any detailed information on any future plans that Cox may have but it was a courtesy call on the Office of the President and an opportunity to gauge future opportunities and priority investment areas in Namibia.
At the time of his visit, Cox said he had expressed interest to Geingob to bring investors to Namibia in the areas of manufacturing, energy and agriculture.
Cox, who was in Namibia on a one-day visit.
Although Cox and Geingob had a closed-door meeting, the US investor said he came to Namibia because of its stable political system and conducive environment for economic development.
Therefore, Cox said, he plans within the next year to bring US investors and other business people from around the world to take advantage of opportunities in the areas of manufacturing, energy and agriculture.
“People in the United States and other places don’t realise this but there is going to be 450 million Sub-Saharan
Africans, who are going to enter the workforce over the next 20 years. As these demographic bolts occur here, other populations around the world – in Europe, Japan and China – are going to fall off the demographic cliff,” Cox stated.
He thus maintained that there is a need to be moving economic development and grow Africa to create jobs.
He said he will be working in his personal capacity with businesses and friends in China, who would like to have manufacturing closer to the United States.
He added that Namibia would be a great place to do that – being on the west coast of Africa it will mean faster shipping than from China.
Cox said he had no message from President Trump, whom he described as a “family friend”, as he was visiting in his personal capacity.