Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Republican Party (RP) leader, Henk Mudge, has pledged to impose an immediate embargo on all tenders awarded to Chinese companies and cancel existing contracts if he becomes Namibia’s next president.
The politician said this on Monday during a press conference in Windhoek while outlining his plans for a Namibian-first approach.
“I will order an immediate investigation into the legality of the documentation of all the Chinese citizens, especially shop owners all over Namibia. I believe that the vast majority will be fond to either have achieved their documents in a corrupt manner that they have no right to be here, taking away the jobs of our citizens. They will be requested to leave immediately,’’ stated Mudge.
He vowed to prioritise local companies in all future government tenders.
Mudge said his government will provide financial support to local companies lacking technical skills to enhance their capacity, enabling them to undertake any project.
The former lawmaker promises to pardon caprivi prisoners and overhaul public service.
According to Mudge, those serving prison terms for the Caprivi secession are political prisoners, and the current government should pardon them.
‘’I will free all those in prison serving a sentence for their involvement in the failed secessionist attempt in 1999. The way in which the Justice Ministry and the Prosecutor General of this Swapo government as well as our courts have dealt with this issue is nothing but scandalous, to say the least,’’ he added.
He went on to say that his government would amend the Public Service Act to require executive directors and their deputies to serve fixed terms.
If it becomes evident that any of them are incompetent or involved in corrupt activities, Mudge said he would fire them all immediately.
‘’I will also put an embargo on the purchase of any vehicles for the government ministries and will have a forensic audit done as to the need for such vehicles at all ministries. No government official will be allowed to use a vehicle for anything else but public duty,’’ cautioned Mudge.
