VZCZCXRO8084
RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHWD #0107/01 1061614
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 151614Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9850
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0121
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0201

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 WINDHOEK 000107 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S, INR, INR/B 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:4/12/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PINR KDEM WA
SUBJECT: CABINET SHUFFLE, MINISTERIAL MERRY-GO-ROUND 
 
REF: 07 Windhoek 567 
 
Classified by Ambassador Dennise Mathieu, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) On April 8, President Pohamba announced a much anticipated 
cabinet reshuffle -- then fired no one.  The few portfolio changes 
that Pohamba adopted appear to be those that did not challenge the 
traditional power base loyal to Founding President Sam Nujoma. 
Working around that big constraint, Pohamba appears to have made a 
few changes intended to improve some ministries.  Although Pohamba 
may have lost an opportunity to reshape his team, he likely did not 
want to rock the boat given the delicate balance of power within the 
ruling party.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) See para. 12 for the full cabinet list with Embassy comments 
on each. 
 
Deck Chairs and One Substantive Change 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) After more than a year of unfulfilled rumors, Pohamba 
announced his first cabinet shuffle since taking office in 2005. 
Other than the very ill, former Minister of Safety and Security, 
Peter Tsheehama, no sitting minister lost his job.  Moreover, the 
only new faces on the team were well-known SWAPO figures: former 
Ambassador Peter Katjavivi, who becomes the Director General of the 
National Planning Commission (MCC's counterpart), and Hage Geingob 
who becomes Minister of Trade and Industry (MTI).  Geingob's reentry 
into the ministerial fold was no surprise given his election to the 
vice-presidency of the SWAPO party in late 2007 (reftel).  The return 
to leadership by the capable Geingob could be a positive development 
for MTI, which languished under his predecessor. 
 
¶4.  (C) Moving into the Ministry of Works and Transport is Helmut 
Angula, former Director General of the National Planning Commission 
and counterpart on Millennium Challenge Account negotiations.  Angula 
and his Deputy, Paul Smit, have a big task of cleaning up the Works 
Ministry, which has been mired in corruption allegations for years. 
Smit, a good manager known for his honesty, told the DCM that "Works 
is a mess", and that he and Angula would find out what was going on 
in that Ministry and deal with it.  The fact that two good contacts 
are now in charge of Works could be a boon in the Embassy's efforts 
to acquire GRN-owned land for a New Embassy Compound. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) One of the most notable figures to shift portfolios was 
hardline Lands Minister Jerry Ekandjo.  He picks up the job at 
Ministry of Regional, Local Government, Housing and Rural 
Development, filling the position vacated by deceased Minister John 
Pandeni.  The portfolio change appears to be a lateral move that will 
allow him to travel the country in pursuit of his other job, SWAPO 
Chief of Information.  Alpheus !Naruseb takes the Lands job. Although 
no superstar, !Naruseb will likely be a much less antagonistic figure 
than Ekandjo, who often refused to meet with the commercial farmers 
union.  Having a less polarizing presence at Lands may be a positive 
development given the sensitivity of the land issue and its possible 
use as a red herring during elections. 
 
¶6.  (C) Most notably untouched (many would say unfortunately) by this 
reshuffle was Minister of Justice Pendukeni Ivula-Ithana.  A strident 
Nujoma supporter and hawkish figure, Ithana remains triple-hatted as 
the Minister of Justice, Attorney General, and Secretary General of 
the SWAPO Party. Her competing roles have created what many argue are 
unhealthy conflicts of interest pitting her party loyalties against 
her ministerial duties. 
 
¶7.  (C) Other key figures who proved unmovable (likely due to the 
strength of their political patrons) were lackluster Minister of 
Foreign Affairs Marco Hausiku, underworked Minister of Presidential 
Affairs Albert Kawana, party stalwart Minister of Home Affairs and 
Immigration Rosalia Nghidinwa, and Nujoma's relative, Finance 
Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.  On a positive note, at least 
from a PEPFAR perspective, is the continued presence of the effective 
Minister Richard Kamwi at the helm of Health and Social Services. 
 
¶8.  (U) The only substantive change from this reshuffle was the 
removal of the communications portfolio from the Ministry of Works 
and Transport.  Communications now falls under the newly named 
Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. 
 
Expected, but Disappointing 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) In the past few days, the independent Namibian newspaper has 
printed countless SMS messages from ordinary citizens who were highly 
 
WINDHOEK 00000107  002 OF 004 
 
 
critical of the reshuffle.  The biggest gripe is that the President 
did not so much reshuffle as "recycle" without any repercussions for 
ministers whose operations have failed to provide services to the 
people.  "A ministerial merry-go-round continues ad nauseam for 18 
years" wrote one disgruntled Namibian. 
 
¶10.  (C) In a rare comment on domestic politics, MFA Permanent 
Secretary Veiccoh Ngihwete told DCM on April 9 that the reshuffle was 
 
SIPDIS 
a disappointment because it only changed portfolios without bringing 
in enough new blood (itself an interesting aside as Ngihwete is very 
much SWAPO "old blood" himself).  Our contacts in the media and other 
sectors share the disappointment.  Most analysts recognize, however, 
that Pohamba may have felt constrained on one side by the risk of 
alienating progressives who could jump to the opposition and on the 
other by the danger of angering the stalwarts who remain faithful to 
Sam Nujoma and the memories of the liberation struggle.  With no 
political base of his own, Pohamba could not risk a major upsetting 
of the guard, one SWAPO MP told PolOff. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11.  (C) When rumors of a cabinet shake-up surfaced over a year ago, 
many people had high hopes that Pohamba would form a cabinet 
independent from that formed by Founding President Sam Nujoma.  As 
time progressed, fewer Namibians believed Pohamba would take such a 
bold move at the risk of chasing comrades into the arms of the 
opposition, or angering hardliners loyal to Nujoma.  Accordingly, 
Pohamba appears only to have moved the people and portfolios that 
matter little to Nujoma and his closest allies.  In the end, this 
reshuffle will mostly serve to calm the anxious ministers who have 
long waited for the axe to fall, allowing them to get back to their 
jobs and feel secure in their positions at least until the November 
2009 elections.  Business as usual on a ministerial merry-go-round. 
End comment. 
 
Minister List and Embassy Comments on Each 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶12.  (C) Following is the full list of the new cabinet, listed by 
Minister and Deputy Minister, with Embassy comments.  Two stars (**) 
before the name indicates a change. 
 
Agriculture 
** John Mutorwa.  He was fairly well respected at Ministry of Youth, 
National Service, Sports and Culture, and very supportive of Peace 
Corps.  This former teacher and long-time cabinet member does not 
have any particular expertise in agriculture.  Definitely a 
promotion, but not clear why. 
** Isak Katali.  He is best known in the international community for 
his outrageous statements -- made as Deputy Minister of Lands and 
Resettlement -- in support of Mugabe's land reform program in 
Zimbabwe. Katali is unlikely to bring much to the table, other than 
his political connections to the more traditional SWAPO powerbase 
close to Nujoma. 
 
Foreign Affairs 
-- Marco Hausiku.  According to SWAPO insiders, Hausiku refused to 
budge and won, despite his well-earned reputation as one of Namibia's 
least effective ministers.  His ties to Nujoma, strength in the 
party, and position as one of the few Kavangos in the Cabinet saved 
him his seat.  Nevertheless, Pohamba's recent appointment of a 
Special Advisor for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Tuliameni Kalomoh, 
may indicate an effort by Pohamba to improve the effectiveness of the 
Ministry. 
-- Lempy Lucas.  This unimpressive deputy seems to have secured her 
place in life on the speech circuit for foreign embassies' national 
days: "please join me in proposing a toast..." 
 
Information and Communications Technology 
** Joel Kaapanda, former Minister of Works.  Kaapanda was originally 
sent to the Works Ministry to clean it up, which he does not appear 
to have achieved, despite a fair reputation as an effective manager. 
It remains to be seen exactly what his ministry will do with its new 
focus on communications technology. 
-- Raphael Dinyando 
 
Defense 
-- Charles Ndaxu (Ho-Chi Minh) Namoloh 
-- Victor Simunja 
 
Finance 
-- Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.  Although she has grown into her job 
and by many accounts done well, she has not challenged the powers 
that be on budgeting decisions.  She has become increasingly 
impressive in our view over the past three years due to her increased 
knowledge and decisiveness in dealing with issues. Clutch magazine 
 
WINDHOEK 00000107  003 OF 004 
 
 
recently named her one of 21 Women of Power and Achievement.  With 
Nujoma as a patron and relation through adoption (and allegedly at 
one point a lover), her position seems secure. 
-- Tjekero Tweya 
 
Fisheries 
-- Dr Abraham Iyambo 
-- Kilus Nguvauva 
 
Health and Social Services 
-- Dr Richard Kamwi.  He is a good partner.  Probably good for PEPFAR 
that he stays. 
-- Petrina Haingura 
 
Home Affairs 
-- Rosalia Nghidinwa 
** Stephanus Mogotsi.  He is energetic and talks the talk of 
efficiency; however no one may be up to the task of making Home 
Affairs an efficient ministry. 
 
Environment & Tourism 
** Nethumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.  Although she has long been suspected as 
a supporter of RDP leader Hidipo Hamutenya, the fact she maintained a 
portfolio could be viewed as a sign that Pohamba does not want to 
alienate progressives. 
 
Labor and Social Welfare 
** Immanuel Ngatjizeko.  Not sure why he picked up this job, although 
his lack of skills may be less harmful to Namibian interests than it 
was at Trade and Industry. 
-- Petrus Iilonga.  Rarely without his Che Guevara beret, the 
unimpressive Iilonga remains a loyal liberation fighter.  During the 
recent funeral for deceased Minister Jonn Pandeni, Iilonga rambled 
for two hours about his own feats as a PLAN fighter in the bush. 
 
Lands and Resettlement 
** Alpheus !Naruseb. Although he is no superstar, he will likely be a 
much less antagonistic figure than Ekandjo, who often refused to meet 
with the commercial farmers.  As the former Minister of Labor, he is 
accustomed to trying to resolve conflicting interests. 
** Henock ya Kasita.  Close ties to Nujoma.  Not sure why he was 
moved to Lands. 
 
Mines and Energy 
-- Erkki Nghimtina 
** Bernhard Esau, Deputy.  We are told he is a hard worker and could 
be an asset in a ministry that has seen increased activity in the 
last few years. 
 
National Planning Commission (Director General) 
** Peter Katjavivi. Spent the last five years on the diplomatic 
circuit in Europe, most recently as Ambassador to Germany and 
previously to the EU.  Before that, he was Vice Chancellor at the 
University of Namibia.  He is considered a solid manager. 
 
Regional, Local Government, Housing and Rural Development 
** Jerry Ekandjo.  Ekandjo moves from Lands and Resettlement back to 
the Ministry where he started in 1990 as a Deputy.  Ekandjo is a true 
firebrand who still fondly reminisces about petrol bombing apartheid 
South African installations in Walvis Bay during the liberation 
struggle.  He is also wont to remind Namibians that the Boers (read: 
whites) are not to be trusted.  He can use the new portfolio to 
travel the country in pursuit of his other job, SWAPO Chief of 
Information.  Given his hawkishness, it is probably a good thing he 
will not be in charge of the sensitive land portfolio during the 2009 
elections. 
-- Kazenambo Kazenambo 
 
Safety and Security 
** Dr. Nickey Iyambo.  Pohamba may have wanted an ally at the helm of 
the security services. Although Iyambo is pleasant and relatively 
progressive, it is difficult to see how he will genuinely take 
control of this ministry.  He is soft spoken, somewhat ineffectual, 
and his political fortunes have been on the decline in the past 
several years.  As explained by Iyambo's former Deputy Minister, Paul 
Smit, Iyambo was always "very diplomatic and did not want to address 
problems." 
-- Gabes Shihepo 
 
Trade and Industry 
** Hage Geingob. Namibia's first Prime Minister makes an expected 
comeback.  He turned down several portfolios before this offering. 
He is a solid manager with plenty of relevant managerial and 
international experience and is likely to be a welcome change 
compared to his predecessor who seemed to know little about trade. 
** Teopolina Mushelenga.  A SWAPO stalwart who remains loyal to 
Nujoma.  She may have been placed in Trade as a minder to the 
 
WINDHOEK 00000107  004 OF 004 
 
 
ever-ambitious Hage Geingob. 
 
Works and Transport 
** Helmut Angula. Outspoken and independent minded, the outgoing 
Director General of the National Planning Commission (NPC) has worked 
before with his new deputy, Paul Smit.  They are both action oriented 
and may be able to tackle the issues of maintenance and neglect of 
government buildings and assets, as well as other woes at the 
Ministry of Works. 
** Paul Smit.  One of only two whites in the cabinet, Smit is a 
farmer who may have preferred to remain at Agriculture; however, his 
sound management practices and no-nonsense attitude may help with 
housecleaning at Works, which has suffered numerous corruption 
allegations in past years.  A very religious man, Smit confided in 
the DCM that God told him (Smit) two weeks before the shuffle to wrap 
up his affairs at Agriculture. 
 
Youth, National Service, Sport & Culture 
** Willem Konjore.  This is often where they put Ministers out to 
pasture.  Definitely a demotion for this Catholic deacon. 
-- Pohamba Shifeta. 
 
 
MATHIEU