Africa-Press – Namibia. Although the Swapo Party President has taken a stand to refrain from influencing the succession process, party stalwarts believe the incumbent should guide the process to ensure that quality and substance are the order of time in respect of the characteristics of his successor.
Playing neutral is indeed the safest approach from face value but a simple mistake might haunt Hage Geingob deep down into retirement for allowing opportunists to take over and destroy the party.
The purported “Helmuth Amendments” might be seen as a setback and slap in the face of Swapo youth but be as it may be, the party need to move on beyond this stage.
Early campaigning should be fast-tracked as it can cause disunity. Candidates should be identified and declared by mandated protocols and organs of the party else followers might not know with great certainty which heads to follow.
All potential successors to the throne will come from the current rank and file of the Swapo leadership but it remains dangerous to preempt the most desirable candidate to succeed Geingob.
Early runs could easily expose weaknesses of known potential candidates and subsequently, create room for “dark horses” whose hidden characteristics might be seen as the only alternative” to the current.
The President is a play master when it comes to knowing the intellectual ins and outs of his fellow cadres, be they at cabinet or ordinary members.
This time around, candidates must go out strongly to present their turnaround strategies and convince the Swapo Party electorate, whether they mean transformation or the usual party rhetoric.
Potential candidates should come clear of the roadmap to perform at high gear beyond the Geingob tenure and preach the gospel of a renewed emancipation trajectory if they want to be voted based on an improved model beyond the Geingob tenure.
Guided democracy has been the norm and practice that has commanded the highest legacy ethos amongst his predecessors in the persona of the Founding President Dr Sam Nujoma and his successor, second President Dr Hifikepunye Pohamba.
Geingob has the full confidence and belief in the integrity of his lieutenants and should identify and give his full backing to the candidate he is convinced about steering the ship when he retires.
Amongst the known potential candidates vying for the vice presidency, both have backing from one or another former Head of State and Government and former party presidents.
But who is Geingob’s dark horse, if any? His silence could jam up speculation but it is normal to quell suspicions until the announcement is made. All in all, the current crop of Swapo stalwarts qualifying for the top job, is tested individuals that will deliver the best candidate for their party to test waters during the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Hopefully, Geingob will also find his day to enjoy the liberty to pronounce his candidate in good time so that the rank and file can endorse the President’s wishes and move on.
Contestation for presidential successions within the Swapo Party has always delivered a split result after congress but the situation could be arrested should potential candidates strike deals and agree on terms of succession and allocation of positions if victorious. Such chess moves could spell harmony and mutual respect. However, the spin doctor shall always have to benefit from such reciprocal internal arrangements.
The negative global economic outlook which is likely to depress the local economic prospects going forward and the ability of Namibia to compete favourably in future should serve as a stern warning that should propel the ruling party to pit the best brains against the opposition presidential hopefuls during the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The opposition has vowed to install a coalition government and most of their hopeful presidential candidates are likely to be in categories of attractive age groups hence the ruling party needs to study, scrutinise and crystalise such competitive challenges and decide what will steer the party above reasonable survival modes.
Now that Geingob is unlikely to face any challenger at the congress, is it perhaps not time to bring home those that were aggrieved and opted outside active politics after the 2017 congress falls out, make peace and move on and sing reconciliation in the eyes of those “living legendary icons “of the liberation struggle that has started this party in the early 60s, including Geingob himself.
Both icons, Nujoma and Pohamba are watching how we intend to go about bringing Comrades around the same fire that Swapo Party lit during times of trial and tribulations. We certainly cannot anticipate their earthly departure while our house is not in order. And mind you, their time is running out, others have taken off already and are no longer part of this universe!
But against their best hopes and wishes, President Geingob entered the crawl before the gates slumped into his face and shook off his critics, now as he races for the finishing line, what are the specifics despite numerous visible achievements that we can expect to seal off his legacy.
The First Lady in this instance and without any doubt is the strongest pillar of support for the leader and indeed the entire system and so shall it remain!
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