Deputy Prime Minister and national presidential aspirant Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is set to unveil her not-for-profit trust under the name N4, her campaign manager Kaire Mbuende announced.
In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday, seasoned diplomat Mbuende said the acronym ‘N4’ is derived from Nandi-Ndaitwah’s full name, Netumbo Ndemupelila Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The trust is a non-profit organisation inspired by the belief that development is a collective process.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, or NNN as she is known among her comrades in blue, red, and green, is also the Swapo vice president.
“The N4 is established as a vehicle for transforming the vision of its founder of prosperity for all into action through impactful interventions in various sectors that can transform the livelihoods of the vulnerable members of Namibian society,” Mbuende said.
The trust will encapsulate passion and compassion, high moral standards, integrity and commitment to service delivery.
“The trust will strive to inspire, motivate and empower individuals and communities to become agents of their own development through a people-centred development approach,” Mbuende added.
Part of the trust’s mission is to complement the government, private sector, NGOs and other philanthropic bodies, and will work in partnership with some of them on specific projects.
“The N4 Trust will act as a catalyst for mobilising communities for development, as well as human and financial resources and technical know-how to bring about the desired development. The trust will leverage the founder’s extensive international network and grassroots’ connections to contribute towards inclusive development,” he noted.
It will be manned by Mbuende as its chairman. Investment board boss Nangula Uaandja, Swapo lawmaker and deputy home affairs minister Lucia Witbooi, lawyer Chris Nghaamwa, Andreas Joseph, and deputy trade minister Verna Sinimbo complete the trustees.
While it appeared certain that Nandi-Ndaitwah would be the ruling party’s presidential candidate at next year’s election, some of her comrades are trying to throw spanners in her path, with a mooted extraordinary congress to elect or nominate a Swapo presidential candidate.
Recently, Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa reiterated that Nandi-Ndaitwah is their sole and authentic presidential candidate.
This is in the face of calls for Swapo to consider an extraordinary congress to elect a candidate for the upcoming elections.
Swapo party stalwart Jerry ‘Maudjuu’ Ekandjo maintains that last year’s congress did not elect a presidential candidate, throwing the nomination of Nandi-Ndaitwah into doubt.
“I want to make it categorically clear that the extraordinary congress can only be done if an unnatural condition happens. For example, if the president of the country, vice president, secretary general or the deputy resign, there can be an extraordinary congress,” Shaningwa said at a rally not so long ago.
The politician added that incumbent President Hage Geingob is not ready to damage his image as the leader of the party and country.
“The president is not going to resign, and he has thus written to my office that there would be no extraordinary congress. Mathematically, that means there shall be no vacancy. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is our sole candidate for the party, come 2024,” she said assuredly.
Last year, Geingob equally endorsed Nandi-Ndaitwah as the party’s presidential candidate after the diplomat saw off competition from Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and environment minister Pohamba Shifeta for the Swapo vice presidency during their intra-party elective congress.
The only time Swapo held an extraordinary congress was in 2004 when Founding President Sam Nujoma backed former President Hifikepunye Pohamba - then Swapo vice president - as his preferred candidate.
Nujoma’s blessing, however, did not deter party veterans such as the late Hidipo Hamutenya and Nahas Angula from challenging Pohamba.
A re-run was required between Hamutenya and Pohamba to determine the eventual victor.
Pohamba eventually won the battle for the party vice presidency, while he was also confirmed as the Swapo candidate for the general elections in 2004.
That congress, however, left the ruling party bruised.
It would also culminate in Hamutenya and other senior figures’ resignations from Swapo three years later to form the Rally for Democracy and Progress.
- emumbuu@nepc.com.na