By Risco Lumamezi
PRESIDENTIAL Affairs Minister and Attorney General Dr.Albert Kawana has accepted the outcome of the just ended SWAPO PARTY electoral college where he did not secure a seat in the next parliament.
“My friend, some of us are democrats, only few people in Africa accept defeat, I grew up in SWAPO. I became a national leader through SWAPO, I played a part in parliament I’m still a leader and member of SWAPO central committee and politburo” explained Dr. Kawana.
Dr. Kawana tied the knot that he did not retire in politics and will continue supporting his fellow comrades who made it in the SWAPO pot, and he warned those who have to represent the party in parliament not to mess up as this will tarnish the leader of the party.
“It did not happen to me alone if they are people in any election automatically one has to win; it is not the first time why should I worry” hoped Dr. Kawana who confirmed to Caprivi Vision that he did not retire in politics.
“My family died for this party they died in the name of the SWAPO Party , look on 25 August 1978 Lifuna (relative) died in the name of SWAPO”
When asked if he was willing to accept the position of Vice President if requested by Dr. Hage Genigob, president elect if SWAPO wins the elections.
Dr. Kawana responded that “I cannot interfere because in terms of the Namibian constitution the president has prerogative. I’m proud for the motivation of the constitutional amendments, and I’m very grateful to my comrades who thanked me as I received hundreds of messages across the country”.
When quizzed up to answer to concerns of some of the residents who labeled him as an architect of changing the name Caprivi to Zambezi region and how ready is he to resolve the politics of secession in the Caprivi.He distanced himself to the issue of Caprivi saying he has nothing to say as all correspondence were responded by the Party secretary general Mr.Nangolo Mbumba who also told this paper in 2013 interview that the SWAPO – CANU merger does not exist anymore.
He added that he is happy to it that the colonial name (Caprivi) was changed to Zambezi which he believes it is uniting the Namibian nation. He mentioned some heroes like late Benjamin Bebi who died in 1960, Judea Lyaboloma and Masida Chatambula who was roasted on fire by the apartheid at the time as they all died in the name of SWAPO saying they are heroes who died in the name of SWAPO in Namibia not in the region.
“Brendan Simbwaye rejected the so called administration for Caprivians and he wanted one Namibia. They are many people who hail from Zambezi working outside Zambezi region”
He further urged residents to go for the polls in November “I urge the Namibians to go to the polls in large numbers if SWAPO win elections will not tolerate tribalism and will bring electricity to Chinchimani”
About 6 members from Zambezi region were nominated on the final list of the SWAPO Party for National Assembly Elections as Ms.Doreen Sioka who was re-elected (old), Mr.James Sankwasa, (new )Mr.Stanley Simaata (old),Ms.Margaret Mahoto (new), Nora Munsu (new)and Mary Masule (new).
Who is Kawana?
A 58-year-old politician who hails from the then Caprivi strip went in exile in Zambia where he finished his education. He firstly graduated with a Diploma in Development Studies and Management in 1979 from the United Nations Institute for Namibia (UNIN). He went on to the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, where he received his L.L.M. in 1983 and Ph.D. in 1988. After his graduations in Europe he moved back to his exile country Zambia, where he lectured at UNIN in its final years from 1988 to 1990.
He became the first Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice from 1990 to 2000, and he held his post by then led Namibia’s legal team in the Kasikili Island Dispute case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Netherlands, which was ruled in favour of Botswana on December 13, 1999.
He was Chosen by SWAPO to the 3rd National Assembly of Namibia in 2000, he was immediately promoted to the position of Deputy Minister of Justice.
Following the 2004 general election, Kawana was promoted to head the Justice Ministry, becoming the first and thus far only Permanent Secretary to advance to the top post of a Ministry since independence. He is the current member of the National Assembly of Namibia and Cabinet since 2000, Minister of Presidential Affairs in March 2005 to present when he was appointed by his excellency president Hifikepunye Pohamba who is to step down March 21, 2015.
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