Seasoned executive and former presidential advisor on constitutional affairs and private sector interface Inge Zaamwani has landed what many opine is the biggest ministerial portfolio in terms of contribution to GDP.
Yesterday, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah appointed her as a non-voting member of the National Assembly.
She then appointed Zaamwani as the new minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, filling the void left by Mac-Albert Hengari.
“President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah expresses confidence in the ability of Ms Zaamwani to execute the mandate,” the Presidency said.
“She has worked in mining, banking and government. I am confident she will help create jobs and improve food security in our country. Her leadership and experience will help us add value to our resources, and build a stronger economy for all Namibians”, she noted. Nandi-Ndaitwah also touched on the Hengari situation.
“I had to recall one of my nominees, Mac Hengari, due to circumstances that were beyond my control. I thank him for his service to the nation,” the President said.
Reacting to the appointment, erstwhile Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) lawmaker and political scholar Maximalliant Katjimune was impressed.
“Mee Netumbo’s new philosophy appointment must be studied in political science classes at the University of Namibia. It seems like the era of loyalist politics within the ruling party has ended, at least for now. Being a foot soldier doesn’t guarantee you any appointment,” he stated, seemingly pointing to Nandi-Ndaitwah’s meritorious appointment.
Qualifications
Zaamwani holds various academic qualifications.
She obtained her Master of Laws degree in mining and petroleum law in 1994 from the University of Dundee, while her Bachelor of Laws degree was obtained from Thames Valley University five years earlier.
She also holds a diploma in Development Studies from the United Nations Institute for Namibia, a certificate in Executive Leadership from INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau, France and a certificate in management from Harvard University’s Making Markets Work Executive Education Programme.
Her resume shows that Zaamwani is grounded in values of honesty, professionalism, and she is results-oriented, meticulous and reliable.
No introduction
A seasoned executive, she needs no introduction.
She was Namdeb CEO between 1999 and 2015, before assuming her first taste of political office when late president Hage Geingob appointed her among his eight advisors, dubbed the ‘A-Team’.
“As CEO, I played a leading role in transforming Namdeb from being a mining company based in Oranjemund to a national corporation with significant national presence. In this role, I participated in the formulation of corporate strategy and execution, and acted as a key interface between the two shareholders of the partnership between the government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers Group,” Zaamwani is quoted as saying in her resume.
She adds, “I was also a member of the De Beers Group executive committee. During this period of over eight years, I had an opportunity to get involved in the global diamond business value chain, and gained valuable experience that assisted us in setting a strategy aligned to market dynamics. I also played an active role in Namibia’s corporate governance environment, thereby contributing towards Business Namibia’s influence on the national socio-economic agenda.”
Between 1996 and 1998, she served as the director of mines in the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
“In this role, I was responsible for advising the minister of mines and energy on all matters relating to the performance of the mining industry, including the evaluation of applications, issuance of mineral licences, monitoring the industry’s performance and reporting, thereby ensuring compliance with the law,” she recalled.
In 1995, she was the control mineral rights officer in the same ministry and worked closely with the mining commissioner, “supporting him with the implementation of the regulatory requirements as set out in the Minerals and Prospecting Act of 1992”.
“I am currently serving as a non-executive director of Swakop Uranium (Pty) Ltd, Namdeb Holdings (Pty) Ltd, and DebMarine Namibia (Pty) Ltd. In addition, I am a director of Tungeni Africa Investment Pty (Ltd), and ZanTang Investment Pty (Ltd). I am also an honorary member of the Board of Directors of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NCCI). The last three directorships are more ad hoc, and therefore not demanding of my time,” she is further quoted as saying.
Hengari
Zaamwani enters the ministry shortly after her predecessor’s brief stint. For weeks, Hengari had been contemplating quitting his new government job as relentless media reports about his alleged rape case and corruption investigation, on which he was cleared, soared.
Over a week ago, he was arrested by the Namibian Police on charges of attempting to bribe the victim in an alleged rape case filed against him to withdraw the case.
He is being investigated on 11 charges relating to rape, kidnapping and inducing an abortion – relating to the 21-year-old woman he allegedly raped since she was 15.
In his parting message, Hengari thanked Nandi-Ndaitwah and wished her well.
However, sources close to the ministry say there has been internal pushback from industry ‘cartels’ which have been enjoying the country’s resources for years, through alleged relentless media attacks to discredit Hengari and, by extension, Nandi-Ndaitwah’s administration. These individuals, New Era understands, are particularly opposed to the merger of the ministries of fisheries, agriculture and land reform, and are allegedly prepared to do anything to protect their interests.
DNA
Through lawyer Patrick Kauta, Hengari has since issued a demand to be provided with a copy of DNA test results obtained during the investigation of a rape case involving him as a suspect.
In the letter, Kauta points to a potential concoction and execution against his client, Hengari.
He alleges that the arrest was carried out in the presence of a newspaper representative, who was allowed to photograph the scene unhindered “to embarrass the suspect and influence public opinion and interest”.
Kauta continued that the alleged rape victim was also present at the scene of Hengari’s arrest on 26 April, after Namibian Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo had been quoted in the media as having said that the complainant was in a ‘safe house’.
Alleging that the presence of a newspaper representative at Hengari’s arrest showed “police complicity in the commission of a crime”, Kauta states in his letter: “You will agree that in a constitutional democracy such as ours, the police should be dissuaded from settling political scores.”
Hengari furthermore requested the control prosecutor to provide him with the charge-sheet of the case in which he was arrested, the grounds on which the State intends to refuse the granting of bail to him, copies of documents and material the State intends to use during a bail hearing, and copies of warning statements and other statements made by Hengari.
Kauta was also demanding that a copy of the DNA test results obtained by the police be provided to him by 16h00 yesterday.