PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is under pressure to reverse her decision of appointing minister of agriculture Mac Albert Hengari and health minister Esperance Luvindao.
Both ministers were surprise picks to Nandi-Ndaitwah’s Cabinet, and they form part of the president’s eight non-voting appointments to the National Assembly.
The two ministers face allegations which question their fitness to hold Cabinet positions. However, Presidential press secretary Alfredo Hengari, said the president will only act on the basis of bona fide charges and evidence.
“Allegations are allegations, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah doesn’t act or take decisions on the basis of allegations and speculation, but on evidence,” he said, adding that the president will act on the basis of charges and evidence. Hengari further added that the president is entirely focused on implementing the mandate of advancing the developmental interests of the nation.
The developments have further brought questions about whether the government has mechanisms to test whether prospective ministers are people of integrity to hold such crucial positions. The Cabinet, as the highest decision-making body for the government, holds an extraordinary fiduciary responsibility as the country’s Executive and its members are also exposed to a variety of State secrets on a daily basis.
Last week, The Issue reported that both the government and the ruling Swapo party disowned Luvindao and could not explain whether they had done a due diligence on her.
Secretary to Cabinet George Simataa was quoted sidestepping questions around how it was possible that Luvindao was appointed without due diligence being done on her.
“I am not in the position to answer any of your questions. All I can tell you is that vetting in our country is done by NCIS [the Namibia Central Intelligence Services],” he said.
Simataa on Wednesday corrected his statement with The Issue. He said that his statement that NCIS was responsible for vetting created the wrong impression that the country’s intelligence organisation vetted Luvindao and other ministers.
He said that was not the case and that NCIS played no part in vetting the politicians who were sworn in last week. He said the ministers were vetted by the ruling party.
Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa last week referred questions about ministerial appointments and the vetting process to State House.
ALLEGATIONS
The question about whether politicians, especially ministers, pass a fitness test to hold office has resurfaced again after the Luvindao controversy.
This time around, it’s allegations of sexual abuse and rape levelled against agriculture minister Hengari.
Social justice activist Michael Amushelelo made allegations on social media that Hengari allegedly sexually assaulted a 16-year-old, that the victim fell pregnant and was coerced into aborting the pregnancy. It was alleged that the victim was threatened with death should she disclose what happened between her and the minister. Amushelelo also made claims that the case docket has gone missing.
Minister Hengari, on Saturday afternoon, said he will revert to The Issue’s questions later. This was shortly after questions were sent to him via text.
The Issue has, however, seen a letter from mimister Hengari’s lawyer, Loini Shikale-Ambondo, responding to Amushelelo and his allegations.
“Our client denies in their entirety these allegations, which are perpetuated and engineered by a third force,” read the letter, which further states that Amushelelo’s claims are false, defamatory and without any factual or legal basis. Also that the allegations are designed to cause Hengari reputational harm.
Chief of police Josef Shikongo, on Saturday, told The Issue that police are investigating a case dealing with allegations of rape. He said the case was registered at Oshakati and he assured the public that contrary to social media speculation, the case docket is not missing. He added that the victim’s statement is also in the docket. The case was registered at Oshakati November last year.
“Due to the complexity of the case, we are first finalising details before we act or arrest,” he said.
“We have an active criminal investigation into rape allegation, and a person of interest is known, but we cannot reveal their name because they have not been charged,” said Shikongo.
Hengari is the second minister facing allegations putting in question their ability to hold public office. His allegations surfaced shortly after health minister Luvindao made headlines and saw a public call for the president to remove her.
It was reported on Monday that President Nandi-Ndaitwah was contemplating recalling Luvindao, allegedly because the president was ‘misled’ about Luvindao and her credentials. The allegations levelled against the health minister are that she fabricated or exaggerated her achievements. Especially the claim that she delivered free online consultations to 44 000 patients from Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria and Rwanda between 2019 and 2021. This was especially questioned because Luvindao only officially became a registered medical doctor in August 2021. This means she would not have qualified to consult patients without supervision. Also, medical doctors in the country are questioning the possibility of one doctor seeing 44 000 patients in a space of three years. At least four medical doctors who spoke to The Issue say even the hardest-working senior doctor would struggle to see more than 24 000 patients during the same period.
The fact that Luvindao is Namibian born but has Congolese heritage also upset some quarters.
Another of Luvindao’s initiatives purportedly helped more than 35 000 Namibians by purchasing crucial medication and medical equipment for village health practices and has played a key role in supporting the country’s vaccine campaign in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
