WINDHOEK – Presidential press secretary Alfredo Hengari says that President Hage Geingob’s upcoming regional assessment missions and town hall meetings are not political campaign ploys as suggested by some critics.
This comes after news broke that Geingob is expected to hold regional assessment missions and town hall meetings starting next week Thursday until August 13.
Some critics questioned Geingob’s regional visits, alleging that it’s a political campaign ploy.
Others alleged that he is only going to the regions to vie for political support in light of it being an election year.
“There is nothing like that. The President makes a distinction between a political campaign, which is coming later in the year. You would have read that the party electoral college is going to take place in September. So why would the President campaign now? The campaign is down the line. We have to be very clear that the time for a political campaign will come. The President will not conflate the two issues,” Hengari told reporters at State House yesterday.
He said the President would get actively involved in a political campaign at the right time.
According to Hengari, it should be clear that these town hall meetings are not for political gain, but are meant for all Namibians, irrespective of their political affiliation.
“Right now, it’s the time for the President to go back to the regions, as he usually does, and speak to Namibians and hear what has been done so far, what has been implemented in terms of drought relief and hear from them first hand instead of just relying on reports coming from offices,” he defended.
Further, Hengari said Geingob is going to tour the regions in order to identify bottlenecks – if there are any and provide direct solutions.
Hengari maintained that following the declaration of a drought emergency by Geingob on May 6 and the commitment of the government to avail over N$500 million towards relief, the Head of State will undertake regional assessment missions to review progress on drought relief and identify obstacles in order to scale up interventions.
Subsequent to the town hall meetings the President undertook in 2015, Hengari said, Geingob will deploy the upcoming missions as platforms to report on progress with regard to implementation of projects and policies, and will hear from communities about challenges encountered.
This, he says, is part of the ethos of transparent, accountable and responsible governance that President Geingob espouses.
Hengari noted the President is elected directly by Namibians and speaks for them, hence he called on everyone to engage in direct dialogue with him during these town halls in terms of achievements and challenges faced in the regions.
The timetable for regional assessment missions and town hall meetings by the President shows he will start at Gobabis in Omaheke Region on July 11, followed by Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region on July 12, Mariental, Hardap Region on July 16, Keetmanshoop, //Karas Region on July 17, and Walvis Bay, Erongo Region on July 18.
On July 19, Geingob will visit Khorixas, Kunene Region, followed by Outapi, Omusati Region on July 20, then Tsumeb in Oshikoto Region on July 29.
The month of August, the President will visit Oshana Region on the 5th, Ohangwena Region on August 7, Kavango East Region on August 8, Kavango West Region on August 9, Zambezi Region on August 10 and is expected to wrap up his visits with Windhoek in the Khomas Region on August 13.
Hengari said specific venues would be communicated imminently.