Windhoek
Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta will be one of the guests of honour at Namibia’s 26th independence anniversary celebrations, slated for next week Monday at the Independence Stadium.
This was revealed by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology Permanent Secretary Mbeuta Ua-Ndjarakana, in interview with New Era yesterday on some of the key activities lined up for the event.
He said Mali has been an all-season friend of Namibia, both before and after independence, and a strong advocate for Namibia’s plight at international fora.
Last year, Namibia celebrated the inauguration of the third president, Dr Hage Geingob, in a twin ceremony that also observed the nation’s 25th independence anniversary.
Ua-Ndjarakana said Geingob and Keïta have worked together when both were prime ministers of their respective countries.
He added that Keïta will be paying a state visit to Namibia from Friday to Sunday. On Monday he will be the guest of honour at the independence celebrations.
He further noted that both countries can learn from each as they are both dry by nature, adding that Namibia can learn how to manage disasters such as persistent droughts and floods.
Namibia having the oldest desert the Namib, with live and endangered plant species, can offer a lot to Mali in terms of conservation, expertise and research, he indicated.
“Mali is a desert country in Africa. We have that common natural habitat sharing. It is prone to drought and it has mineral deposits, which can be similar to Namibia’s mineral deposits because it’s also a desert country. We can exchange ideas and expertise particularly on how to add value to our minerals and other natural resources for exports to earn foreign income, and on how to target specific markets to maximise our benefits,” Ua-Ndjarakana said.
Additionally, he said, Mali is advanced in manufacturing veterinary medicines that can equally help Namibia fight foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and other transmittable diseases, which will preserve “our beef markets”.
Ua-Ndjarakana said Geingob did not invite many heads of state as he did for last year’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
“So there might be a couple of surprises with former heads of state attending the occasion such as the Tanzanian president (John Magufuli) and others within the SADC region. The confirmations are still trickling in,” the PS said.
Regional governors, he said, are also invited and each is requested to bring along a delegation of about 20 people. They will later go to their regions for celebrations to be held later.
“We are going to see a bigger but relaxed independence celebrations. We aim to fill the Independence Stadium to its capacity of 20 000 people. There will be lunch and water served. We encourage a free-of-alcohol celebration.”