Niël Terblanché
Namibia’s First Couple, President Hage Geingob and First Lady Monica Geingos issued a statement to address concerns regarding expenses incurred for their children and other members of the First Family who accompanied them to Dubai for the 28th session of COP 28.
According to a statement issued by State House, President Geingob and the First Lady have distinguished between expenses within their prerogative as the First Couple and those classified as private expenditures, as stipulated by the Treasury Regulations of the Government of the Republic of Namibia.
These regulations specify that the children and other members of the First Family are ineligible for state-funded flight tickets and expenses.
“Contrary to recent allegations, it has been confirmed that the children of the First Couple did not travel at state expense to the United Arab Emirates for any purpose. President Geingob and Madame Geingos personally covered the costs of flights and accommodations for their children during the trip,” the statement reads.
The Presidency has labelled allegations of abuse of state resources as both malicious and politically motivated, designed to detract from the President’s work and the Namibian delegation’s contributions at COP 28.
“It is essential to stress that not a single cent of public funds has been allocated to the First Family’s children,” the Presidency stated.
A similar incident occurred when the First Couple travelled to New York to attend the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in 2017.
At the time, Madame Geingos faced allegations that her son travelled to New York with her and the President at the state’s expense on social media platforms such as Twitter (now X).
The First Lady at the time dismissed the allegations by saying that she had accepted that social media-driven scandal-mongering was the new normal.
She added that she found discomfort in being placed in a situation where people create false allegations against the family and is then required to prove that such allegations are untrue.
The Namibian delegation at Cop 28 consists of 142 people which includes various ministers and captains of industry and business.
Besides the President and the First Lady, four other members of the family in various capacities, form part of the Namibian delegation in Dubai.
They are Nino Kalondo, Salomon Kalondo, Dangos Geingos, Nangula Geingos. The First Family is also accompanied by Jackson Dukes, listed as a learner, and Kayla Elago, listed as a student.
In June this year, the President faced similar criticism after he was flown to South Africa to undergo an aortic valve procedure after the presidential medical team detected a mild aortic stenosis during a routine medical checkup.
At the time detractors on social media platforms decried the fact that South African doctors and medical facilities were preferred by the presidential medical team instead of a Namibian hospital and medical specialists.
The most recent statement from State House, added that President Geingob has consistently maintained an unblemished record of handling both public and private expenses, even voluntarily declaring his assets upon taking office in 2015, underscoring his commitment to public service ethics.
“President Geingob’s dedication to charity and assisting the needy remains unwavering. He continues to allocate a significant portion of his Presidential salary to charitable endeavours, primarily benefiting students and hundreds of underprivileged citizens in the Otjozondjupa Region,” reads the statement.
According to the Presidency, transparency, accountability, and public trust are at the forefront of President Geingob’s governance principles. The Namibian public and media are regularly informed about presidential activities and official missions, including his participation in COP 28.
In championing Third-Wave leadership, characterized by accessible leadership and collective decision-making, President Geingob consistently practices what he preaches.
Ahead of his departure to Dubai for COP 28, he communicated the mission during the year-end 2023 Press Briefing, and the Presidency issued a detailed press release outlining his activities at the conference.
The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is a crucial gathering where world leaders, negotiators, and stakeholders come together to address the pressing challenges of climate change and work towards collective solutions.
The Presidency assured Namibians that the publicly available delegation list includes private sector entities responsible for their expenses, thus inaccurately reflecting the true size of the Inter-Ministerial Namibian delegation.
President Geingob has represented Namibia’s developmental interests at COP 28, particularly highlighting the nation’s potential to harness renewable energy for green hydrogen production, a vital component of green industrialization and the energy transition.
The President’s contributions at COP 28 were recognized during a panel discussion on the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, where he shared the stage with international dignitaries, such as the President of the European Commission and the Vice President of the United States.
“Namibians are encouraged to support these efforts, as they attract investments to the country, stimulate economic growth, and combat youth unemployment,” the Presidency said.
Namibia’s achievements at COP 28 include the prestigious Zayed Sustainability Prize awarded to the country’s Blue Kelp project in Lüderitz in the climate action category.
