Ester Mbathera
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has remained silent amid growing public outcry over the appointment of Dr Esperance Luvindao to parliament and subsequently as minister of health and social services.
Allegations surfaced about irregularities in the vetting process and questions surrounding her nationality.
Luvindao has been open about her parents’ nationality on numerous occasions, of which proof is available on the internet.
In 2023, at the Africa Women’s Summit 2023 in Rwanda, Kigali, where she was a guest speaker, she again confirmed it.
“My parents are from the Democratic Republic of Congo, so I speak Lingala, I speak Swahili and I speak French,” she said.
The presidency has not responded to questions sent to clarify whether Luvindao’s appointment followed proper vetting protocols.
The Windhoek Observer also wanted to know whether the presidency confirmed Luvindao’s citizenship status and whether any concerns regarding her nationality were flagged or addressed during the vetting process.
A widely circulated WhatsApp message claims that Luvindao is not a Namibian citizen and that her appointment was influenced by former First Lady, Monica Geingos and former President Nangolo Mbumba.
Geingos has denied any involvement in Luvindao’s appointment process.
“I became aware of Dr Luvindao’s appointment when it was publicly announced. I had no prior knowledge thereof. I have never spoken to any leader regarding the appointment of any individual, nor have I directly or indirectly recommended or influenced any ministerial appointment,” she said.
Luvindao is known to Geingos. She is on record saying that the former first lady is her mentor and confidant.
She is a volunteer alumna of the #BeFree.
Questions sent to Luvindao were unanswered at the time of publication.
The Windhoek Observer wanted to confirm her citizenship status, the vetting process she underwent, and her connections to the former first lady.
The controversy surrounding the appointment of Luvindao has also opened a broader national debate on citizenship, identity, and the rule of law.
Political analyst Sakaria Johannes called for legal clarity and constitutional reform.
“We have to analyse this issue on two sides. Firstly, let’s try to answer these questions. Who is a Namibian? What qualifies someone to be a fully accepted Namibian? Are there clear definitions of a Namibian and how or where their Namibianism ends?” he said.
Johannes also questioned whether the country is governed by the rule of law or what he termed the “rule of man”.
“Rule of law did not limit or prohibit appointments as far as citizenship is concerned. Besides the rule of man (unwritten) does, the question remains, are we really equal before the law if we apply the rule of man in some situations?” he said.
He recommended that Article 4 of the Namibian Constitution, which defines citizenship, be reviewed to close what he described as legal loopholes and to create a clear and consistent policy on Namibian identity.
