Nairobi - Namibian and other commentators have differed sharply over the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s awarding of its $5 million (R58.8m) African leadership prize for 2014 to the low-key, outgoing Namibian President, Hifikepunye Pohamba.
The prize had only been given three times before, to former presidents Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique in 2007, Festus Mogae of Botswana in 2008 and Pedro Pires of Cape Verde in 2011.
The foundation found no one worthy of the prize in four of the eight years since it was launched in 2007.
The prize, funded by Sudanese telecom tycoon Mo Ibrahim, is meant to recognise good governance and “excellence in African leadership”.
The basic criteria are that the winner must have been democratically elected and should have left office over the past three years, having served only their constitutionally mandated term.
Pohamba is still in office until March 21 when he will hand over to his fellow Swapo member Hage Geingob who won elections last year.
Some commentators on social media have suggested that giving the award to the modest Pohamba reflects more on the dearth of good African leadership than on his achievements.
“Does it not suggest that African statesman conforming to democratic mandate is an exceptional feat rather than minimum requirement?”asked Cape Town-based African security analyst Ryan Cummings on Twitter.
In Windhoek, Phil Ya Nangolah, executive director of the human rights advocacy group NamRights, was more forthright, saying that Pohamba didn’t deserve the prize because he had failed to keep his promise to curb corruption. “Corruption is still rife and is even worse.”
Ya Nangolah said that health, education and housing were also in a state of crisis, food insecurity was high and Namibia had one of the worst distributions of income in the world. “And we have a backlog of over 200 000 criminal cases in the courts so where is the rule of law in these circumstances?
However, Namibian writer and commentator Joseph Diescho disagreed, saying Pohamba was a worthy winner because he was the sort of leader Africa needed, who made people feel safe rather than fearful and left office without a fuss.
“After Sam Nujoma left, you needed someone to build a bridge between the hardcore liberation leaders and the democratic values enshrined in Namibia’s 1989 constitution. Pohamba embodied those values.”
Diescho said the transition from Nujoma to Pohamba had been “rather raucous” because Nujoma, who lead Namibia to independence, had been reluctant to go. By contrast Pohamba had been eager to leave office.
Announcing the award in Nairobi, Salim Ahmed Salim, the chairman of the prize committee, said: “President Pohamba’s focus in forging national cohesion and reconciliation at a key stage of Namibia’s consolidation of democracy and social and economic development impressed the prize committee.
“His ability to command the confidence and the trust of his people is exemplary. During the decade of his Presidential mandate, he demonstrated sound and wise leadership. At the same time, he maintained his humility throughout his Presidency.”
Foreign Service