Lahja Nashuuta
The recently released Swapo 2024 election manifesto implementation plan has drawn both praise and scepticism from certain quarters.
While the plan is seen as a strategic approach to achieve the party’s developmental objectives, serious questions have emerged about its feasibility and funding.
Political analyst Wade Henckert described the Swapo implementation plan as a promising catalyst for economic growth and job creation. However, he emphasised that its success hinges on effective policy execution. He made references to Botswana and Mauritius, which have successfully employed similar strategies to enhance their economic performances.
Botswana’s economic resilience, he noted, stems from investments in social infrastructure and judicious management of its mineral wealth, while Mauritius has transitioned from an agrarian economy to a diversified industrial and service-based economy through trade openness and strong institutions.
“The implementation plan suggests increasing employment in the public sector, fostering entrepreneurship, and developing skills to create jobs. Although some emerging economies have shown success with these tactics, their effectiveness depends on institutional ability and resource allocation. The potential mismatch between the labour market needs and educational outputs remains a challenege that needs to be tackled by the incumbent administration,” Henckert said.
He added: “Economic diversification methods that prioritise human capital investment, policy stability, and effective governance have been successfully adopted by nations like Botswana and Mauritius. Botswana’s economic resilience has been bolstered by its investment in social infrastructure and careful management of its mineral wealth.”
Despite these examples, Henckert highlighted budgetary constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies and external economic factors as some of the potential hindrances to the execution of the party’s development plan.
He, therefore, urged the Swapo-led government to prioritise public-private partnerships, improve vocational education, and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as sustainable sources of employment.
Meanwhile, outgoing Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) lawmaker Maximalliant Katjimune, a political scientist, also weighed in.
For Katjimune, reviving the now-defunct Air Namibia does not only bode well with him but also does not make economic sense.
“It is deeply concerning that this plan seems fixated on reviving a national airline, which we clearly cannot afford and do not need at this time,” Katjimune said.
He argued that government resources should instead focus on pressing socio-economic issues.
Katjimune further pointed out potential misalignment between the Swapo plan and the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework established by the ministry of finance, wondering where the funding for such ambitious initiatives would originate, especially in light of Namibia’s existing revenue struggles.
“It will be interesting to see where funding for these ambitious initiatives will come from—perhaps from oil revenues or the green hydrogen sector? That remains to be seen,” he added.
Echoing these concerns, policy analyst Frederico Links also questioned the source of funds, given that government ministries had already submitted their budgets for the 2025/26 financial year. “This means that any costed activities earmarked for rollout could only begin in the 2026/27 financial year,” he explained, cautioning that without synchronised planning, the effective implementation period could be significantly reduced.
Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah shared similar scepticism, emphasising the need for a clear roadmap detailing how the projects would be funded and executed. He stated, “If there’s no clear roadmap on how to fund these projects, they remain just words on paper.”. He argues that real investments in industrialisation, entrepreneurship, and skill development are essential for meaningful employment generation.
Furthermore, political analyst Dietrich Remmert acknowledged the document’s potential yet raised doubts about securing the necessary N$185 billion for the proposed initiatives. He cautioned that Namibia’s historical challenges with large-scale project implementation could hinder the expected economic growth, often resulting in only short-term job opportunities.
Promise
Swapo has pledged to drive significant socio-economic development over the next five years, particularly focusing on boosting agriculture to enhance food security and reduce imports by 80%. The plan outlines developmental targets set for execution between 2025 and 2030, with commitments of N$2.5 billion towards agricultural infrastructure and the establishment of super farms, among other initiatives.
In addition, the plan includes a goal of launching a new national airline by 2026 through public-private partnerships, investments in sports and youth development, free tuition for government-funded education institutions by 2027, and significant allocations for rural healthcare services and housing projects.
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photo: Heather Erdmann