Swapo is not everything - Maamberua President Hage Geingob should pronounce himself about developing a synergy between the Swapo politburo and cabinet as it will only deepen state control by the ruling party.Swanu President Usutuaije Maamberua told Nampa on Tuesday that he was “surprised” by Geingob''s announcement during the opening of Swapo''s second policy conference on Monday.
Geingob raised the concern of policy implementation noting that there had been no action by party members on some of the resolutions taken during the conference last year.
“At the end of the day we must realise that cabinet has to incorporate Swapo policies in order to turn them into Namibian policies. In other words, it is the duty of cabinet to domesticate the Swapo party manifesto,” Geingob told the conference.
Maamberua said he had too many questions to ask the ruling party about how this system would work.
“I cannot see how the two can be linked or is it now a formalisation? This clearly demonstrates there is a lot of blindness in the different roles that are supposed to be played by different institutions.
“That is why Swapo without any shame is even linking the party''s politburo to cabinet because the leaders cannot see those clear and distinguishable different roles of different institutions. They think everything is Swapo and Swapo is everything,” Maamberua said.
He added that these were all indications of how the ruling party was dominating, influencing and taking advantage of state institutions instead of creating good governance and transparency.
He asked whether the Swapo leaders were intent on merging the party and government, as well as the funding mechanisms if implemented.
“Who do they want to confuse? They must draw a distinction and a difference between a political party and the executive. I think it is a totally wrong direction,” Maamberua said.
Meanwhile, the secretary-general of Nudo, Meundju Jahanika told Nampa that Swapo had failed to implement various policies in the country.
He said Swapo leaders lacked the political will to implement Swapo policies such as decentralisation and many other laws which had gathered dust on shelves at various ministries.
Swapo leaders must also address the problem of separating the party and government. Most Swapo departments are headed by ministers meaning that if resolutions are not being implemented they must blame themselves, Jahanika added.
NAMPA