WINDHOEK – Presidential press secretary Dr Alfredo Hengari has dismissed a Nampa report carried by New Era on Monday under the headline ‘Geingob denounces demands for Shanghala and Esau’s dismissal’ as inaccurate, malicious – and that it selectively quoted the President.
“An article in the New Era newspaper [yesterday] under the heading ‘Geingob denounces demands for Shanghala and Esau’s dismissal’ creates the false impression that President Geingob condemned calls for the dismissal of the two former ministers implicated in the fishing bribery scandal as reported by several media,” stated Hengari.
“The article purporting to have quoted the president as having said, while addressing a SWAPO Party Star rally at Omuthiyagwiipundi on Friday, 15 November 2019 that, “I could not not fire the two ministers on the grounds that they are not yet found guilty of the alleged offence.”
“The article quoting the president selectively is creating the malicious impression that the president denounced calls for the dismissal of the former ministers. The president will continue to emphasise rule of law and the Constitution as the foundation for Governance in Namibia,” he stated.
He further said, “President Geingob summoned the two ministers to State House to demand explanations, following which the President was going to act decisively. The two ministers chose to resign in light of the gravity of the allegations. Moreover, the president had letters of their dismissal ready, had they chosen not to resign,” Hengari stated.
The Presidency condemned the Nampa news article “for creating the false impression that the president denounced demands for the dismissal of the two former ministers.
“President Geingob has since assuming the Presidency declared war on corruption, an undertaking he pursued with determination, starting with the cancellation of the inflated tender for the construction of the Hosea Kutako International Airport, the declaration of his assets and demanding the same transparency from everyone in his administration,” reiterated Hengari.
The presidential press secretary also stressed President Geingob does not tolerate corruption and continues to fight the scourge within applicable laws of the Republic.