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Editorial
Editorial

EDITORIAL: Mbumba should vacate office immediately after new president is elected

Editor
Botswana's general election was held on 30 October. On the morning of 1 November, Duma Boko was declared the winner and before sunset, he was sworn in as the new president.

In Namibia, it takes four months for the newly elected president to assume office. Four months is a long time in politics – we have been very lucky so far that this backward practice has not yet backfired in a major way.

One day, an incumbent president will be voted out and still preside over the affairs of our country for four more months. If the unwanted president wants to suck our coffers dry during that 'grace' period, they will have ample time to do so.

They will also have enough time to conceal corrupt activities, if any, or even replace the anti-corruption boss with their own lackey. One who won’t pursue them after leaving office. The possibilities are endless.

After our first democratic general election in 1989, and the transition that ensued from wartime Namibia to a new state, the four months to March 1990 were justified. But in 2024, it’s laughable.

We must resolve this untenable situation now – rather than waiting until the chickens come home to roost.

A month, at most, is adequate for a new president to take office. Interim president Nangolo Mbumba has a chance to rectify this anomaly by vacating office as soon as a new president is voted into power this month.

After all, it is simply unsound that a bloke who nobody voted for clings onto power, while the duly elected one sits at home. A good dancer knows when to leave the stage.

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-06

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Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 700.16/OZ DOWN -0.0166 | Copper US$ 4.29/lb DOWN -0.0332 | Zinc US$ 2 994.90/T DOWN -4.16% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.53/BBP DOWN -0.0172 | Platinum US$ 977.62/OZ DOWN -0.0201 Sport results: Premier League: Fulham 2 vs 1 Brentford | Manchester United 1 vs 1 Chelsea | Tottenham Hotspur 4 vs 1 Aston Villa Weather: Katima Mulilo: 22° | 37° Rundu: 21° | 36° Eenhana: 22° | 36° Oshakati: 22° | 35° Ruacana: 21° | 36° Tsumeb: 21° | 33° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 33° Omaruru: 20° | 36° Windhoek: 19° | 33° Gobabis: 18° | 36° Henties Bay: 14° | 21° Wind speed: 22km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 11:33, High tide: 05:50, Low Tide: 23:58, High tide: 17:56 Swakopmund: 14° | 16° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: NW, Low tide: 11:31, High tide: 05:48, Low Tide: 23:56, High tide: 17:54 Walvis Bay: 13° | 22° Wind speed: 22km/h, Wind direction: NW, Low tide: 11:31, High tide: 05:47, Low Tide: 23:56, High tide: 17:53 Rehoboth: 18° | 35° Mariental: 19° | 37° Keetmanshoop: 18° | 37° Aranos: 18° | 38° Lüderitz: 13° | 23° Ariamsvlei: 17° | 36° Oranjemund: 14° | 31° Luanda: 25° | 26° Gaborone: 16° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 32° Mbabane: 12° | 18° Maseru: 9° | 29° Antananarivo: 16° | 30° Lilongwe: 25° | 33° Maputo: 19° | 24° Windhoek: 19° | 33° Cape Town: 14° | 26° Durban: 16° | 17° Johannesburg: 15° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 22° | 33° Harare: 19° | 30° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 22.75 | EUR to NAD 18.97 | CNY to NAD 2.47 | USD to NAD 17.74 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.27 | EGP to NAD 0.35 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.64 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.03 | RUB to NAD 0.18 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 133.27 | USD to AOA 909.05 | USD to BWP 13.47 | USD to EGP 49.15 | USD to KES 129.2 | USD to NGN 1664.36 | USD to ZAR 17.75 | USD to ZMW 27.07 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1878.44 Up +0.10% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 14296.93 Down -0.02% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 30793.94 Up +0.47% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 700.16/OZ DOWN -0.0166 | Copper US$ 4.29/lb DOWN -0.0332 | Zinc US$ 2 994.90/T DOWN -4.16% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.53/BBP DOWN -0.0172 | Platinum US$ 977.62/OZ DOWN -0.0201