ETUNDA – Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba has expressed disappointment over the failure to continue with key national projects initiated by Founding Father Sam Nujoma, particularly the green schemes.
Speaking at his memorial service in Etunda, Omusati region last Thursday, Pohamba urged incoming president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to build on the work of her predecessors, and prioritise some of these initiatives.
“When you take over, we want to see progress in what we started. Nujoma would be happy to see his work continued,” Pohamba told Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Pohamba, who served as Namibia’s president from 2005 to 2015, had supported and expanded Nujoma’s green schemes.
However, he expressed frustration that many of these projects have since collapsed.
“Those projects are gone. They are dead,” he lamented. Many green scheme farms in the Kavango regions have ceased full-capacity operations, while some collapsed due to financial struggles as the country faces challenges in sustaining long-term projects. Meanwhile, former Cabinet minister Jerry Ekandjo has called on the incoming government to complete Nujoma’s vision of a national railway network.
In a recent interview with Nampa, he said Nujoma envisioned a railway stretching from Ariamsvlei in the south to Oshikango in the north, extending to Cape Fria on the Skeleton Coast.
He highlighted Nujoma’s significant role in Namibia’s railway development, including the N$1.3-billion railway from Tsumeb to Oshikango, which commenced in 2002 and was completed in 2017. He noted that Nujoma personally dedicated time to the project, working alongside local volunteers.
Ekandjo praised Nujoma’s commitment to economic independence.
“Nujoma believed in self-reliance. Under his leadership, we never took loans from the IMF or World Bank,” Ekandjo said. As the new administration prepares to take office, he urged leaders to uphold Nujoma’s vision and ensure that key development projects are not abandoned.
Minister of Home Affairs, Safety and Security Albert Kawana described Nujoma as a visionary leader who prioritised education. He noted that Nujoma’s efforts enabled many Namibians to study abroad, himself included.
“Nujoma had a passion for agriculture. He realised that independence without food security was meaningless. That is why he established green schemes in the two Kavango regions,” Kawana added.
Vice President and president-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, speaking at the memorial service, revealed that Nujoma inspired her to run for Vice President of the ruling party, paving the way for her to become Namibia’s next president.
She pledged to lead with the lessons and ideologies she learnt from the founding president, vowing to bring about meaningful change and continue the work he started.
-vkaapanda@nepc.com.na