Africa-Press – Namibia. PRESIDENT Hage Geingob says some media outlets are out to get him.
He said this on Friday at an impromptu media conference at State House that was attended by New Era and the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
He was responding to media reports on comments he made earlier last week regarding pupils being taught under trees and teachers needing to take the initiative to construct structures while they wait for the government’s assistance.
“Simple things are taken out of context. People are trying to get Hage. They are not going to get Hage,” the president said in an audio clip obtained from New Era.
The state media organisations earlier on Friday attended an event where Geingob was receiving farewell courtesy calls from Jorge Eduardo S de Figueiredo, outgoing ambassador of Cape Verde to Namibia, and Prashant Agrawal, outgoing ambassador of India to Namibia.
Geingob then used the opportunity to express his disappointment with media reports which he claimed aimed to tarnish and ridicule his administration.
Geingob said certain comments he made at the opening of the first Cabinet meeting of the year last week Tuesday were taken out of context by the media.
The Namibian, among other publications, quoted Geingob as saying: “This other thing I saw which is now prominent is children being taught under the trees. I have travelled this country, and I have never seen this before. Under the trees.”
Attempts by The Namibian to get clarity on this remark proved fruitless last week.
Geingob’s press secretary, Alfredo Hengari, has not responded to WhatsApp and email messages.
Dennis Shikwambi, another member of the presidential press team, was sent a WhatsApp message, which he has read, but did not respond to.
Geingob, however, on Friday said those who were trying to paint him in a bad light would not succeed.
“They tried with corruption issues, they are not going to get me. You don’t believe an African leader can go out clean, free of corruption. That, I think, is the problem,” he said.
Geingob said the comments the media latched onto at the Cabinet opening involved the “side topic”, while his main message was about the action the government has taken to remedy the current education crisis.
“Come and exaggerate things you know are tangents. What is the main idea one is conveying? Conditions are bad. Yes, children are being taught under the trees,” he said on Friday.
He said he does not endorse this.
“I would be shocked. I have travelled, and if there is anybody who travelled as a leader, it is this person,” Geingob said.
During the Cabinet opening, the president recalled teachers telling him they do not have access to kitchens at schools.
“I looked at this person and I said ‘yes, while you wait for the government, why don’t you put one pole here, one pole there, one there, and one pole there, and put blikkies on top?’
“At least you will be cooking there and it won’t be wet while you are waiting for the government,” the president said.
On Friday he said nobody can teach him anything about the conditions of the country.
“I was deploring that children are taught under trees . . . deliberate distortions . . . trying to quote and get something out of context.
“Context is established. We are talking about a crisis, an educational crisis,” he said.
As a result of this crisis, the president has spoken to minister of finance Iipumbu Shiimi to prioritise school infrastructure, because the number of pupils nationwide is increasing.
“Children’s numbers are going [up] because we decided no child must look after cattle . . . access to education . . . quality. We have been talking about these things for a long time,” he said.
Geingob came under fire for his comments from opposition politicians, and analysts have blasted him for allegedly being disconnected from the hardships of ordinary Namibians.
They say the country “must be on autopilot” if Geingob is “clueless” on the state of schools and the education system.
EDUCATOR
Geingob said he has lived and suffered for education.
“When I left the country, I was going for education. That time there was no fighting to say I went to go and join the war. I left in ’62 … I had to work to get education. I am a teacher,” he said.
As a teacher, Geingob said he used to clean school premises with schoolboys in the afternoons.
“In the morning with a tie, and in the afternoon in shorts to work, to clean up with the boys. I was just [using] that example to be used really while you are waiting for the government, and people are in problem[s],” he said.
‘NOTHING FUNNY’
Furthermore, the president said there is nothing funny about the example he gave.
“I am saying that this happened, it is a true situation. ‘When, it rains we are in trouble’. So I just said ‘okay, while you are waiting, it is simple’. What is complicated about it?” he asked.
Geingob wanted to know why his example was ridiculed.
“While you are waiting, why don’t you put one stick there, one stick there, and you put a roof [over]. At least you will have a dry area.
“It is not that funny. You can do something also. I would definitely put something and cook in a dry area, [rather] than to sit and say ‘it’s wet’.
“Are you going to starve because of that? While you are waiting?” he asked.
Meanwhile, political analysts Graham Hopwood and Rui Tyitende last week said Geingob must take responsibility for pressing issues in the education sector and stop blaming other players.
They were in conversation with Desert Radio.
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