By Charles Siyauya
WE are about to vote for our third president in a free and independent Namibia.
This demonstrates the maturity of our democracy and a nation marching towards Vision 2030. To be a president of a country is not only signing papers or delivering long prepared speeches, but rather it involves a huge responsibility of commanding the armed forces, presiding over the executive branch of government, taking quick but strategic action in relation to problems facing the nation and the list goes on. We are not telling you how to vote or who to vote for, but we must vote for someone who is reliable, someone who is accountable, respectable, credible, acceptable, approachable, available, believable, knowledgeable and suitable to lead Namibia to prosperity and not to poverty. As a country we are very much fortunate and blessed to have Comrade Dr Hage Gottfried Geingob of the Swapo Party contesting the country‘s presidency in 2014. In our considered view, Dr Geingob; our Founding Prime Minister knows the country‘s priorities very well and he has passed with distinction the Namibian economy test as the Minister of Trade and Industry, he knows the constitution, he understands what is going on inside and outside the borders of Namibia and if elected to power he will be the face of the Namibian people to the world. This is the tested comrade we must all vote for in the next election so that he can take Namibia to a higher level of wealth and unity. And we must not vote for a person who is unrealistic, unreachable, uncertain about the future, with unprofessional conduct, with an unattractive political CV and with questionable character interrogated by the October 2004 presidential commission of inquiry, in Windhoek.
We must not vote for a person with colliding and conflicting interests. We must not vote for a person with a short fuse and who hardly smiles. How can a person command the armed forces or lead a nation with a short fuse? We must vote for a presidential candidate who will unite the nation and build on the strong foundation laid by the Founding President Dr Sam Nujoma and the incumbent President Dr Hifikepunye Pohamba. Dr Sam Nujoma and Dr Hifikepunye Pohamba distinguished themselves as capable and trustworthy and great leaders who connected and are still connecting with citizens; able to communicate effectively with the public, the two leaders were and are still able to react to threats and opportunities from within and other countries with maturity and well-informed decisions. As peace loving Namibians, we are truly grateful for the two great leaders and we wish them long and health lives. Lastly, Dr Geingob, deserves a 100 percent vote from all progressive Namibians, but not tribally contaminated votes as engineered by Chief Justus Garoeb. The chief ought to be reminded that Comrade Geingob is a national leader and not a tribal leader. And many thanks to the bravery of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) who condemned Chief Garoeb’s divisive declaration of voting for comrade Geingob simply because he is a Damara without looking at his other formidable qualities that have taken him this far. This was an unfortunate choice of words by the chief, which must be denounced in total.
Charles Siyauya is a former SPYL National Executive Committee member.