A local analyst says the appointment of former presidential adviser Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi as the new minister of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform raises eyebrows.
This comes as president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s Cabinet is now dominated by women.
Zaamwani-Kamwi takes over from ousted Mac Hengari, who is currently in police custody after being arrested in connection with alleged bribery.
Zaamwani-Kamwi is the eighth presidential appointee to the parliament, which involves five women and three men.
WHAT ABOUT MEN?
Political analyst Sakaria Johannes, however, raises concern over the appointment of women, saying if this is done in the name of empowering women, it is a problem.
He says women empowerment should not come at the expense of men by appointing them “willy-nilly”.
Johannes says women should not be appointed simply because they are women, but on merit.
He says using the ‘future is female’ slogan while neglecting men will create an imbalance and could lead to unwanted consequences.
BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT
Popular Democratic Movement former member of parliament Maximalliant Katjimune, however, says Zaamwani-Kamwi should be given the benefit of the doubt.
“She does not have any skeletons we know of at the moment. So it’s wise to give her the benefit of the doubt and see how she will fair in her new role,” he says.
The new minister will now oversee one of the country’s largest ministries.
She served as chief executive of Namdeb Diamond Corporation (Namdeb) from 1999 to 2015, where she played a leading role in transforming Namdeb from being a mining company based at Oranjemund to a national corporation with a significant presence.
Zaamwani-Kamwi was appointed by the president at State House yesterday and was also sworn in as a non-voting member of the parliament.
“She is a person the has proven herself over the years, during the liberation struggle and in an independent Namibia. I have all the confidence that she will rise to the occasion to serve the Namibian people,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She said the agriculture ministry is critical to the country and requires a determined and committed person to serve the nation.
The president believes that Zaamwani-Kamwi’s wealth of administrative experience will unlock opportunities for value addition, job creation and food security in the sectors under her portfolio.
United Democratic Movement president Jan van Wyk believes Zaamwani is capable of running the agriculture ministry.
“Her business skills and knowledge in the mining sector should be put to good use,” he says.
He cautions Namibians to be patient and not to judge the new minister too soon.
Zaamwani-Kamwi served as a senior presidential adviser on constitutional affairs and private sector interface since 15 September 2015 to 20 March this year.
She is currently serving as a non-executive director of Swakop Uranium, Namdeb Holdings, and Debmarine Namibia.
In addition, she is a director of Tungeni Africa Investment and ZanTang Investment.
The new minister is also an honorary member of the board of directors of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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