-- ---_.--- --':--.-..... THE STAFF OF THE NAMIBIAN WISH YOU ALL THE BEST FOR CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR - WE'LL BE WITH YOU AGAIN ON JANUARY 8 ----- .. ~ - - Bringing Africa South. , 50c (GST Inc.) Friday December 22 Swapo President mandated by leadership to choose Cabinet team BY MARK VERBAAN - NAMIBIA NEWS SERVICE THE future president of independent Namibia, Swapo leader Sam Nujoma, took a dramatic leap into the future yesterday afternoon when he announced the formation of a "shadow cabinet" . Speaking at a press conference in first government of independent the Turnhalle building, Mr Nujoma Namibia". released details of a sixteen-post "As such, our people have been " shadow cabinet" comprised largely waiting for both the Constituent of Swapo office-bearers. Assembly and the leadership of Swapo His sudden announcement comes to take all necessary steps towards in the wake of a report tabled in the independence," the President said. Constituent Assembly yesterday, "Futhermore, the securi ty situation which revealed that all seven politi­ is not altogether good. The business cal parties in the 72-seat Assembly community and the civil service, too, had agreed on all outstanding issues have been anxiously awaiting some with regard to the writing of a indications about the policy direc­ constitution for the new independent tion of the incoming government," state. Nujoma said. The Swapo leader pointed out that He added that many people had significant progress had been made been "knocking on our door for the towards the finalisation and adop­ last five weeks trying to obtain some tion of the constitution. clues as to the policy directions" of Referring to the 435 elections which the future government. ended five week~ ago, Nujoma said Decisions on the future dispensa- the Namibian people had given Swapo a "clear mandate to establish the CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Riruako·s house transferred to 'cultural council' BY RAJAH MUNAMAVA PLANS are afoot to transfer ownership of the official house of Herero Chief Kuaima Riruako, which ' was bought with state money, to a 'Herero Cultural Council'. SWAPO President, Sam Nujoma, who took a giant step into the future yesterday by announcing a The move follows the same pat­ the donations, the chief firmly said, 'sbadow cabinet' for independent Namibia. tern as the recently attempted pri­ 'now you are knocking on the wrong vatisation of government schools door', before breaking into laugh­ by the Administrator-General in col­ ter. lusion with certain white churches Chief Riruako's version stands in Namibia. in stark contrast to the reaction of POSITIVE RESPONSE When Chief Riruako was asked the Acting Hereros Administration about the transfer this week, he re­ Secretary, Mr G.D Marais, who torted, "so what?". confirmed yesterday that the house "What's wrong with it? The Her­ had been bought with administra­ TO 'S'HADOW CABINET' eros have their own way of doing tion money for the chief's use. ., things - what's wrong w.ith that?". This, he said. had been done de­ The chief added that the arrange­ spite the fact that the chief was not dent as head of state and the prime THE Swapo President's announcement of a shadow cabinet to take ment had been conceived long ago an office-bearer in the administra­ minister. over the government at independence appears to have been well and could not be linked to the gov­ tion. He was given the house in his As expected, prominent Swapo received in most quarters. ernment's attempted privatisation capacity as head of the Herem tribe, figures such as Hage Geingob, Hidipo Most of the people named to head pletely, but two deputy ministers,Mr of schools. said Mr Marais. Hamutenya, Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo, He said the building had nothing The house, Mr Marais explained, ministries are well known senior Vekuii 'Rukoro for Justice and Mr Theo Ben Gurirab, Peter Mueshihange officials of Swapo, but there was to do with the government as it was will not be occupied by the chief . Reggie Diergaardt from Trade and occupy key positions. nevertheless no shortage of surprises a Herero house. alone; plans are being made to create , Industry are from outside Swapo. Mr Geingob's position as head of Chief Riruako said the house was a museum inside the building so in the composition of the cabinet. Furthermore, the two people the Public Service Commission is Swapo seems largely to have ful­ paid for with money collected by that members of the tribe can visit nominated to the positions of Direc­ surprising because normally it is filled its pledge to foster national members of the Herero tribe for it for the purposes of viewing their tor-General of the National Planning regarded as an apolitical post and it is reconciliation by nominating people . their chief. cultural artifacts. Commission, Dr Zed Ngavirue, and not known whether he will have to from outside its own ranks to senior He later changed his story, say­ Unconfirmed reports say that the the Auditor-General, Mr Gert resign his seat in the Constituent positions in the future government. ing instead that money used for Herero Administration had been Hanekom are non-Swapo members. Assembly, and the future legislature, purchasing the house had been footing the telephone, water and There will be no coalition govern­ Mr Nujoma announced that after to take on the new job. ment or government of national unity collected by Hereros, but there had electrici ty bills <li the chief' s house. consultations with experts it had been Mr Geingob, is however, well as some had hoped. decided to appoint a cabinet of 16 been other 'donations here and there'. They are now apparently referring The DT A has been excluded com- ministers, in addition to the Presi- CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 When asked about the sources of them to the council. 2 Friday December 22 1989 THE NAMIBIAN FOR SOME ISRAELI security either in prison or dead?" said Stavro, officials, black South african one of the youths. anti-apartheid leader Archbishp Tutu pays Christmas visit "Christmas is just a normal day Desmond Tutu will be an " now for Paletinians," another said. unwelcome Christmas guest They said they feared searches, road­ to ravaged Bethlehem blocks and other difficulties in the when he preaches to Palestinians town during the festival. in Bethlehem this weekend. Local Palestinian leaders called in Tutu, a Nobel peace laureate and mas since their uprising against Is­ mas Day in honour of an obscure middle of the plaza, to be used for a leaflet for a day of mourning on Palestinian Moslem cleric killed in checkpoints and roadblcks during head of South Africa's Anglican raeli rule began on December 9, 1987. Dember 25 to honour hundreds of Church, is due to arrive today and Many say they feel trapped be­ Pakistan. Christmas. Palstinians killed in the uprising. lead Christmas masses in Jerusalem tween Jewish occupiers, whom they Bethlehem's Manger Square, by At a cafe in the square, a group of Nearly 600 Paiestinans have been and the traditional birthplace of Je­ resent, and a resurgent Moslem fun­ the Church of the Nativity, is devoid 19- and 20-year-old Bethlehem resi­ killed by Israelis in the uprising, sus, Bethlehem in the occupied West damentalist movement known as of the Christmas decorations that once dents watched soldiers arrest a Pales­ most shot by troops. Palestinans have Bank. 'Hamas', which they fear. adorned it. tinian on Wednesday. slain 160 Arabs suspected of col­ Israeli security officials say they Hamas angered Christians this year Residents glare contemptuously at "How can I feel happy at Christ­ laborating with Israel or immoral fear the outspoken churchman, sure by calling a general strike on Christ- three rows of police barricades in the mas~ when a lot of my friel1ds are behaviour. to be followed by an army of televi­ As in the past two years, Christian sion cameras, could provide a boost leaders cancelled all festivities and to the Palestinian uprising. will conduct only religious ceremo­ "He should make clear that his nies. visit is to make peace, not to arouse Bloodbath in Sri Lanka The Roman Caholic patriarch of feelings," said Yossi Olmert, direc­ Jerusalem, Michel Sabah, called for tor of the government press office. MORE than 170 young men were killed and their bodies district but declined to give details or comment on who was Palestinian self-rule in occupied ter­ Tutu's Christmas visit to Bethle­ dumped on roadsides in Sri Lanka's southern district of responsible. ritories and peace talks with Israel in hem and nearby Beit Sahour seems Hambantota in the 24 hours to Thursday morning, resi ­ The leftist People's Liberation Front has been waging a an interview with Arab journalists certain to raise parallels most Is­ dents said. two-year campaign to copple the government during which this week. raelis reject between Pretoria's apart­ They said most of the victims had been- shot and their more than 8 000 people have died. "Granting the Palestinian people heid system of white supremacy and bodies placed on burning car tyres in and around the The government last month killed or captured top leaders sovereignty is the only way to achieve Israeli rule over 1,75 million Pales­ fishing and farming districts. of the front and said the rebels were on the run. just and lasting peace in this be­ tinians in the occupied territories. They blamed the murders on left-wing rebels and pro­ The vigilantes are widely thought to include members of reaved region. It is up to the people to The 70 000 Palestinians who are government vigilantes who are hunting guerrillas.