President’s ‘vetting‘ of tainted Ministers under scrutiny

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is facing criticism after she opted not to involve the Namibia Central Intelligence Service or the police before appointing her Cabinet which includes some tainted politicians. According to The Namibian, she mostly relied on an informal vetting process. Swapo’s Defence Department, typically tasked with conducting background checks, says it had no role in the screening process. Since the President’s introduction of Health Minister Esperance Luvindao and Agriculture Minister Mac Hengari to the Cabinet, her vetting process has sparked controversy. The question, however, remains whether Nandi-Ndaitwah knew that Hengari, is currently under police investigation over rape allegations in a case opened last year, while Luvindao has been accused of professional misconduct, which is also being investigated by the police. The President’s ‘vetting team’ is said to be investigating the Ministers to determine the truth about the allegations. One official said involving the intelligence agency in the vetting process would have made it near impossible for Nandi-Ndaitwah to appoint Ministers of her liking. Analyst Rui Tyitende said no law required the President to subject Ministers or Deputy Ministers to vetting. He said the legal framework that governed the Public Service Commission as an independent and impartial body as per Article 112 of the Constitution stipulates which public managers should be vetted. ‘Put differently, a drug trafficker or a person involved in terrorism can be appointed as a Minister of Safety and Security, as no vetting is required by law,’ he said. Esperance Luvindao Swapo Secretary of Defence Veikko Nekundi earlier said the Department of Defence and Security does not vet Presidential appointees.

Full report in The Namibian