It is exactly 267 days since His Excellency Dr Nangolo Mbumba took over as Namibia's fourth President, in the letter and spirit of Article 29(4) (a) and Article 34, of the globe-famed and envied Supreme Law of the Republic of Namibia.
The swearing-in rolled out against shivers of the backdrop of national and international tears due to the unceremonious departure of Namibia's third president, His Excellency Hage G. Geingob.
At the time, the rhetoricians who span across the spectra and inner circles were the deliberate spew of "interim", "acting" or "temporary" and even "ceremonious" Head of State, which was pursued to devalue and degrade the administration of His Excellency President Mbumba.
However, one will almost forgive but not forget the thought patterns of the thinkers, theorists and conspirators during that specific period, given the unorthodox and overwhelming turn of events of 4 February 2024.
This ever-incepting occurrence in the Namibian dispensation issued a harsh test on the tireless work and sleepless nights of the fathers and mothers of the Constituent Assembly. The fortitude and endurance of the Namibian Constitution were put to a surprise examination.
As in the biblical missive of Joshua being guided by The Almighty to take over after the unannounced departure of the Servant Moses, the Namibian Constitution, of which Geingob was the chairperson of the meeting that drafted and adopted this cornerstone Statute, guided His Excellency Mbumba into rising to the task at hand at a time such as that.
On 5 February 2024, President Mbumba rose to the occasion, and took charge of the reins and bridle of the administration of the Republic.
Since then, Namibia has continued to sail in calm, peaceful and stable waters, unabated by ulterior and antagonistic forces, a status quo not to be equated with current affairs in some nations across the globe.
Safe to say that, even from beyond the grave, president Geingob continues to lead and inspire Namibians through the breath and heartbeat of the Namibian Constitution, which has undisputedly proven to be a force to reckon with.
Since 267 days ago, there have been ongoing threats of coups across the African continent, fleeing of democratically-elected leaders as opposition mounts from within, heightened tensions between former friendly states, unexpected resignations of heads of government amidst nationwide pressure, while some states are ranked worst-governed nations as their economies continue to deteriorate and destabilise to the sad determent of their citizens.
Meanwhile, as publicly reported, over the past 267 days and contrary to mismatched conversations, President Mbumba has worked hard in intensifying efforts to boost the presence and prominence of local players and entrepreneurs in the Namibian economy.
Through an executive approach, the Head of State consulted local businesses on the impact of certain government decisions, local authority services, high repo rates, and the exporting of mineral resources before value-addition, among others.
He is on record publicly strengthening the relationship between local vendors and the Government as a catalyst in improving the economy and living conditions of the citizens.
He placed great importance on spearheading conversations on the maximisation of the Trans-Kalahari Highway, when, together with Botswana's Mokgweetsi Masisi, they consulted on many issues of trade, including the Namport and Botswana Dry Port facilities.
During that high-level engagement, Namibia and her neighbour explored other avenues for employment-creation and economic advancement for both countries, their citizens - and subsequently, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Bloc.
If we set aside emotions, we will soberly recall that on 1 July 2024, President Mbumba sternly sounded the drum on prudent management of the country's natural resources to the benefit of Namibia and all its people.
These are key economic drivers - and if safeguarded, they will create employment and eradicate poverty.
Yet, I say, it is exactly 267 days since President Mbumba maintained focus on accountability, transparency and building an inclusive society through the publicly-reported engagements with traditional leaders, sport personalities, the youth, women, the clergy and political party leaders as well as the media - to mention but a few.
On improving the quality of life for all Namibians, especially the vulnerable, he took yet another executive approach to sympathise with families of victims who lost their lives in shack fires in Kuisebmund, and attended to pensioners at an old-age home.
As a patron of the Federation of the Visually Impaired, he championed the challenges and concerns of persons with disabilities across the nation. He was also at the forefront of giving young Namibians an opportunity for skills' development and training by opening the doors to various vocational training centres and other institutions of higher learning, offering the Namibian child a fair chance at life, while officiating the groundbreaking of critical national installations.
These facilities are part of the robust national agenda on infrastructure development, which is the fuel for social progression, economic growth and investment attraction.
As an astute Statesman, he attended to national duty by further cementing Namibia's role in the global village through high-level participation at critical fora such as the
Sadc, Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, United Nations General Assembly, Kavango-Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA) and the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, as publicly reported.
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Back at home, on 27 November 2024, Namibians will head to the polls to elect a new commander-in-chief and citizen 'Numero uno' to take the nation onwards on the journey to economic emancipation and poverty eradication.
However, one cannot downplay the reality that preparatory period for the upcoming important electoral process happened under the watchful eye of President Mbumba, who is set to democratically hand over the instruments of State power to the victor, come 21 March 2025, with no resistance or hidden desires.
Let us give, and freely so, credit where it is due. Under the circumstances, he has done a brilliant job as the Head of State, and continues to do so with wisdom and skilful leadership etiquette, while placing Namibians at the centre of the administration.
What would have been a nightmare in some dispensations, in Namibia, through a concrete and unambiguous Constitution and a strong leader in the person of President Mbumba, became a manageable process.
Let us count our blessings as a nation, name them one by one, and see how blessed this country and her citizens are for the leadership we have while we have them with us.
Kudos, Mr President!
*Elvis Muraranganda is an alumnus of the China-Africa Press Centre fellowship programme, a media personality with over 13 years of experience and a communications consultant.
