Global Report
E60 Spotlight Namibia A strategy for development grounded in political and economic stability, good health care, education and employment IntervIew Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of Namibia In 2011, Namibia celebrated 21 years as an independent nation. As a relatively young country, it is appropriate that its national priorities are geared towards ensuring a better future for its young people, especially through education and the provision of new job opportunities. In this exclusive interview with Global, President Hifikepunye Pohamba outlines his government’s principal values and ambitions Global: Namibia has consistently scored lished institutions of checks and balances, built development infrastructure in urban highly in African indices of governance. such as the Anti-Corruption Commission centres [and] industrial parks in rural areas Can you say how you define good gov- and the Ombudsman. to enhance commercialisation and industri- ernance and what are Namibia’s biggest The government has succeeded in in- alisation. Our civil society has grown both successes in this regard? creasing access to social services such as in visibility and influence. The printed me- President Pohamba: At independence, health, education, electricity, water and dia in Namibia are mostly privately owned, the Swapo [South West African People’s sanitation. We have adopted primary health operating in a free and competitive environ- Organisation] government inherited a so- care as a guiding policy to ensure health ment. cial service system that was ethnically and care for all. Equally, education receives the Besides all these, the process of decision- racially fragmented. We have made great highest percentage of our national budg- making and implementation is transparent, efforts to entrench peace and stability, and et allocation.
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