FARM REMINI – While pinning his hopes on youth voters and young politicians to stand up and be counted at this year’s polls, ex-Cabinet minister Richard Kamwi has advised political parties to mount honest campaigns rather than lying to the masses.
He also emphasised that political parties must field the best among them, as opposed to only fielding those deemed to be loyal or aligned to a certain faction.
Kamwi, a malariologist, politician and farmer, made these remarks during an interview with New Era on his farm Rimini in the Otjozondjupa region.
The discussion covered a buffet of issues, including his work since leaving active politics, his views on the state of Namibian politics across the divide, voter apathy, and the biggest event on the national calendar: the Presidential and National Assembly elections, slated for November.If anything, Kamwi is impressed with the quality of the current crop of politicians across the political divide.
“Jealousy down. The young politicians on both sides of the aisle in Parliament today, the delivery, whether they are addressing issues, they are doing research, I think I’m happy with that,” he said while also thanking political parties and appointing authorities for entrusting young people with positions of influence and power.
Honesty
With the nation headed into campaign mode ahead of the decisive polls, Kamwi appealled for honest campaigns.
“We should campaign truthfully. We should be able to consider brains… My honest advice is that let’s consider people who will make a difference when they are in Parliament,” he stated.
He added: “Let us listen to our followers and the electorate. Let us know the electorate, not only now during elections [campaigns]… It should be all the seasons that we should be seen to go into the communities and improve these unacceptable school failure rates. It should stop, and it can only be stopped when you elect correctly.”
According to him, the days are over for parliamentarians who think being an MP is a beauty contest or fashion show.
“In Parliament is where we make laws. Let’s not elect those people who are going to decorate chambers. I see some MPs there who have been there for donkey years. We should expect MPs from both chambers to make a difference,” he stressed.
From his vantage point, MPs should be preoccupied with ensuring that the education, health and agriculture sectors are well-oiled and delivering, for the nation to prosper. “When we do the campaigns, those people whom we put in from section, branch and districts, we should be considering honest people who can read and understand what they are reading,” he noted.
He also addressed voter apathy.
“First of all, by not going for elections or not voting, you are not doing anybody a favour. You are fooling yourself. Voting gives you that right to make a difference by putting your vote on a
person whom you think would make a difference,” Kamwi said.
Swapo politics
The ardent Swapo member then delved into matters pertaining to his own party.
Following the death of its president, Hage Geingob on 4 February 2024, vacancies at both party and State levels arose.
At State House, Geingob was succeeded by President Nangolo Mbumba, while the ruling party is expected to hold an extraordinary congress to fill the void within 90 days since the passing of their leader. In the meantime, Swapo vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah remains the party’s acting president. Mbumba, on his part, poured cold water on assertions that he intends standing for the Swapo presidency, while party secretary general Sophia Shaningwa has called those driving succession talks as insensitive.
From Kamwi’s perspective, it is rather unfortunate and uncultured that some of his comrades are talking succession, even before Geingob’s burial.
He said “even if you loved or hated him [Geingob], it is wrong to discuss succession.
Let us respect and honour the dead,” he urged.
Furthermore, he feels there are no ambiguities in the Swapo constitution, and such should take centre-stage post Geingob’s burial, “not now while his remains are still in the mortuary,” and disappointment could be sensed in his voice.
2017 fallout
It was during the watershed congress of 2017 that Kamwi and the late Geingob found each other on diametrically opposed factions: ‘Team Swapo’ and ‘Team Harambee’.
That year, Geingob’s Team Harambee made a clean sweep, annihilating and pushing Team Swapo and those who supported the latter to the periphery of decision-making within the ruling party.
Kamwi vividly recalls this, and hopes Swapo cadres will never endure such divisive internal contestation ever again.
“It’s also unfortunate, you know, in politics. Again, it’s not about who you are in terms of service delivery. If that were the case, I would still be a minister. During congresses and those conferences, my name was always in the top five. But that year [2017], I recall becoming number 101. Why? It is because I differed with the powers that be, and that is politics. I did not associate myself with those who wielded political power,” he added. But there are no hard feelings, he said.
From the discussion, it was also apparent that for Kamwi, “it is not cold” out of the system. For him, politics was never a career, but an invitation to serve.
Once his time was up, he went into farming, which is a passion instilled in him by his parents. Every politician must have an exit strategy, the veteran politician and ex-Plan combatant said.
“I want to advise those young MPs that people respect you if you are disciplined. I want to advise those youth not to sit on their laurels. People would respect you by all means if you are an expert, if you are well-read, hard at work, and full of initiative and want to see Namibia prosper. There’s no reason why you should be voted out [if you possess these qualities],” he continued.
Numbers
Later this year, Namibia’s political system will be tested again when the country holds its most crucial election since the dawn of democracy in 1989.
In 1989, close to 700 000 eligible voters exercised their democratic right in a vote which propelled Swapo to power, and Founding President Sam Nujoma to the highest office in the land, ushering in the post-apartheid era.
The Electoral Commission of Namibia’s 2022/2023 annual report reveals a growth in the voting age population in Namibia, with 1 348 532 eligible registered voters, of whom only 370 826 are registered for the local authority elections.
The reports reveal further that for the Presidential and National Assembly elections, voter turnout declined from 97% in 1989 to 61% in 2019. As for the Regional Council and Local Authority elections, voter turnout has dropped below 50% from 81% and 82%, respectively, in 1992, to 38% and 43% in 2020.