Geingob pressured to endorse successor
Supporters of party VP Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah believe the incumbent must continue with the long tradition of endorsing his immediate subordinate.
STAFF REPORTER
WINDHOEK
President Hage Geingob is allegedly under pressure to endorse his party deputy Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the next candidate for State House ahead of this year’s congress.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s supporters believe, by virtue of being Swapo vice president, she should be next in line to take over the country’s presidency – using the party’s traditionally-accepted succession doctrine of elevating the immediate subordinate of a sitting leader.
In the build-up to the 2004 Swapo extraordinary congress, for example, Swapo president at the time, Sam Nujoma, nominated vice president Hifikepunye Pohamba as his possible successor.
Ahead of the 2012 and 2017 congresses, Pohamba, then president of Swapo, endorsed Geingob as his successor for head of state and head of the party respectively.
The Nandi-Ndaitwah camp believes Geingob must continue this trend.
With the president confirming late last year that he will abide by the country’s constitution by vacating State House at the end of his current term as head of state, jostling for his replacement has started in earnest.
Geingob is expected to remain party president after the congress, making the vice president the party’s automatic presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s term as vice president ends going into that congress, but her supporters believe she deserves a shot at the country’s presidency, given her current position in the party. They want Geingob to endorse her at the party’s Politburo, which would then report that endorsement to the central committee.
‘Never been a fan’
Nandi-Ndaitwah yesterday denied these allegations, saying: “I am looking towards a successful congress where Swapo comes out as a stronger party that will continue to deliver on the promises it has made”.
She said she will subject herself to party procedures: “On my political career, I will continue to follow Swapo procedures. I believe in the structure Swapo has set down”.
But a party insider, adding to similar sentiments that have made the rounds for more than a year, said: “Netumbo’s camp is putting pressure for [Geingob] to come out of the woods. Hage has never been a fan of Netumbo. He believes she was amongst the ringleaders that postponed his presidential ambitions in 1997.”
That year, Geingob squared off against Hendrik Witbooi for the Swapo vice presidency, which the latter won. That race was, among others, to identify Nujoma’s successor, who was in his second and last term as the country’s president ahead of the 1999 general elections – until a decision was made for the founding president to controversially avail himself for a third term.
It is thought that Geingob prefers defence minister Frans Kapofi as his successor. Kapofi last year angrily dismissed a report in Namibian Sun that he harboured ambitions for the country’s presidency.
“Kapofi has always been Hage’s friend. He was a career soldier. During the Shipanga rebellion, Kapofi was deployed to Nyango in Zambia to demobilise the aspiring rebels. This impressed Nujoma and the top leadership. It was just natural for Hage to promote him to permanent secretary at independence.”
After becoming president in 2015, Geingob immediately promoted Kapofi from secretary to cabinet to minister of presidential affairs.
Three years later, Geingob appointed Kapofi as minister of home affairs and, another three years later, moved him to the ministry of defence – one of the key Cabinet portfolios usually reserved for those trusted the most by a sitting head of state.
Third wave
“The idea was always to prepare the generation of the 1970s, as they are known in Swapo. Hage calls this the third wave of Swapo leadership.”
Other names thrown into the hat as possible successors are prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and environment minister Pohamba Shifeta. The pair are, however, considered ‘outsiders’ in the race.
When approached for comment, Swapo spokesperson Hilma Nicanor said she was “too busy” to respond to questions on Geingob’s stance on the alleged pressure to endorse his successor and the timeliness set for any such nominations.
WINDHOEK
President Hage Geingob is allegedly under pressure to endorse his party deputy Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the next candidate for State House ahead of this year’s congress.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s supporters believe, by virtue of being Swapo vice president, she should be next in line to take over the country’s presidency – using the party’s traditionally-accepted succession doctrine of elevating the immediate subordinate of a sitting leader.
In the build-up to the 2004 Swapo extraordinary congress, for example, Swapo president at the time, Sam Nujoma, nominated vice president Hifikepunye Pohamba as his possible successor.
Ahead of the 2012 and 2017 congresses, Pohamba, then president of Swapo, endorsed Geingob as his successor for head of state and head of the party respectively.
The Nandi-Ndaitwah camp believes Geingob must continue this trend.
With the president confirming late last year that he will abide by the country’s constitution by vacating State House at the end of his current term as head of state, jostling for his replacement has started in earnest.
Geingob is expected to remain party president after the congress, making the vice president the party’s automatic presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s term as vice president ends going into that congress, but her supporters believe she deserves a shot at the country’s presidency, given her current position in the party. They want Geingob to endorse her at the party’s Politburo, which would then report that endorsement to the central committee.
‘Never been a fan’
Nandi-Ndaitwah yesterday denied these allegations, saying: “I am looking towards a successful congress where Swapo comes out as a stronger party that will continue to deliver on the promises it has made”.
She said she will subject herself to party procedures: “On my political career, I will continue to follow Swapo procedures. I believe in the structure Swapo has set down”.
But a party insider, adding to similar sentiments that have made the rounds for more than a year, said: “Netumbo’s camp is putting pressure for [Geingob] to come out of the woods. Hage has never been a fan of Netumbo. He believes she was amongst the ringleaders that postponed his presidential ambitions in 1997.”
That year, Geingob squared off against Hendrik Witbooi for the Swapo vice presidency, which the latter won. That race was, among others, to identify Nujoma’s successor, who was in his second and last term as the country’s president ahead of the 1999 general elections – until a decision was made for the founding president to controversially avail himself for a third term.
It is thought that Geingob prefers defence minister Frans Kapofi as his successor. Kapofi last year angrily dismissed a report in Namibian Sun that he harboured ambitions for the country’s presidency.
“Kapofi has always been Hage’s friend. He was a career soldier. During the Shipanga rebellion, Kapofi was deployed to Nyango in Zambia to demobilise the aspiring rebels. This impressed Nujoma and the top leadership. It was just natural for Hage to promote him to permanent secretary at independence.”
After becoming president in 2015, Geingob immediately promoted Kapofi from secretary to cabinet to minister of presidential affairs.
Three years later, Geingob appointed Kapofi as minister of home affairs and, another three years later, moved him to the ministry of defence – one of the key Cabinet portfolios usually reserved for those trusted the most by a sitting head of state.
Third wave
“The idea was always to prepare the generation of the 1970s, as they are known in Swapo. Hage calls this the third wave of Swapo leadership.”
Other names thrown into the hat as possible successors are prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and environment minister Pohamba Shifeta. The pair are, however, considered ‘outsiders’ in the race.
When approached for comment, Swapo spokesperson Hilma Nicanor said she was “too busy” to respond to questions on Geingob’s stance on the alleged pressure to endorse his successor and the timeliness set for any such nominations.
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