Netumbo's potential VP pick revealed

President-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah remains tight-lipped about her impending Cabinet appointments, Swapo insiders say, but growing speculation within the party suggests she may turn to former minister Alpheus !Naruseb as her choice for vice-president.Set to be sworn in next month, Nandi-Ndaitwah has reportedly kept her decisions a closely guarded secret, leaving party leaders in suspense.Former lands minister !Naruseb was a surprise selection at last year’s Swapo electoral college, having faded into political obscurity after resigning from parliament in 2020. His departure followed his failure to be reappointed to Cabinet by late President Hage Geingob. He last held the agriculture ministry portfolio until March 2020.“The vice-president must be chosen from among those who secured seats in parliament, excluding the eight non-voting appointees. If you’re looking for potential candidates, you must examine the list of 51 who made it to parliament,” a party leader explained yesterday.The source added: “Typically, considering Swapo’s 50/50 gender representation policy, a female president would select a male vice-president. There is considerable talk that !Naruseb will be the choice for VP, as there are few other viable options from the parliamentary list.”Turning 71 next month, !Naruseb previously served as minister in four different portfolios between 2005 and 2020 – labour, land, works and agriculture. His seniority on the Swapo parliamentary list strengthens his candidacy for the VP position.Once bitten, twice shySome party insiders believe Nandi-Ndaitwah learned a hard lesson last year when she prematurely revealed her 10 parliamentary nominees before voting commenced at the electoral college.Among those she initially nominated to the Swapo parliamentary list, alongside !Naruseb, were Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Ephraim Nekongo, Indileni Daniel, Ruth Maseke, Elijah Ngurare, Linda Mbwale, Dino Ballotti, Fenny Tutjavi and Erastus Haitengela.The electoral college results dealt a harsh blow to many senior party figures, including some of Nandi-Ndaitwah’s staunchest allies.One such loyalist, deputy minister of works Veikko Nekundi, was ranked beyond 70 on the list. This later forced Nandi-Ndaitwah to replace Haitengela with Nekundi.“The president-elect has realised that revealing plans too soon can backfire. I can confidently say that even the top leadership has little to no insight into her Cabinet choices. There are no leaks, not even speculation,” a senior party figure disclosed.“Everyone is anxiously waiting to see if their names will be on the final list,” the source added.Cabinet shake-up inevitableFollowing Swapo’s loss of 12 seats in the November 2024 elections, nine senior ministers failed to make the list of 51 qualifying for parliament. They are Peya Mushelenga (international relations), Tom Alweendo (mines and energy), Itah Kandjii-Murangi (higher education), Frans Kapofi (defence), Utoni Nujoma (labour), Christine //Hoebes (presidential affairs), Erastus Uutoni (urban and rural development), Obeth Kandjoze (national planning) and Anna Nghipondoka (basic education).Some of these ministers hope to secure one of the eight non-voting seats Nandi-Ndaitwah will allocate in parliament, which could allow them to retain their Cabinet positions.The fate of justice minister Yvonne Dausab remains uncertain, as she did not qualify through the electoral college.Meanwhile, several ministers have signalled their intention to retire, including Kalumbi Shangula (health), John Mutorwa (works and deputy prime minister), Doreen Sioka (gender), Albert Kawana (home affairs), Agnes Tjongarero (sport) and Calle Schlettwein (agriculture).Given that 16 current ministers are not part of the new parliamentary list, there is growing optimism among those who qualified that they have a strong chance of making it into the Cabinet.“Some deputy ministers now see an opportunity for promotion, while newcomers hope to secure deputy ministerial posts,” a party member remarked.The future of Kuugongelwa-Amadhila is also a point of discussion. Some speculate she may become the next speaker of parliament, as incumbent Peter Katjavivi is expected to retire next month.

Netumbo's potential VP pick revealed

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-25

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Netumbo's potential VP pick revealed

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-25

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