Mutindi returns to Namibia as Angola’s top diplomat

Angola’s former tourism minister Pedro Mutindi, who survived a landmine blast near Ondjiva in 2001 and was treated in Windhoek, has been named Angola’s ambassador to Namibia.

Mutindi’s return marks a homecoming of sorts for the politician, who is known for his combative stance against Swapo critics.

Two weeks ago, Angolan president João Lourenço appointed Mutindi as his chief envoy to Namibia.

Lourenço has instructed his ambassadors to prioritise attracting investment and promoting tourism, in line with efforts to stimulate Angola’s economic growth.

Speaking during the swearing in ceremony last week, Mutindi said his intention was to mobilise Namibian businesspeople to invest in Angola as one of the main focuses of his mission.

“Three decades after Namibia became independent, we continue to be united by ties of cooperation and friendship, due to the path we have travelled together over these years,” he is quoted as saying by Africa Press Arabic.

He added that “Namibia and Angola have been united by blood ties for several decades and maintain good neighbourly relations”.

The new ambassador said that he is going to Namibia at a time when bilateral relations are at the top of the agenda as a result of the cooperation and work carried out by his predecessors, which he intends to continue.

He further indicated that he would continue to contribute to the creation of more infrastructure in the implementation of the Okavango-Zambezi Project in order to encourage tourism in southern Angola.

Mutindi replaces Jovelina Imperial e Costa as ambassador to Namibia.

Former tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta, who occupied the tourism portfolio at the same time as Mutindi, has highlighted Mutindi’s interest in the development of the Iona-Skeleton Coast Transfrontier Park between Namibia and Angola.

The park is a joint conservation effort between the Angolan government and the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism, covering an area of more than 15 000 square kilometres. The park comprises two sections, the Iona National Park in Angola and the Skeleton Coast National Park in Namibia.

SWAPO SUPPORTER

Born at Ombadja in southern Angola, Mutindi rose to political power in Angola through the country’s People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).

He was later appointed by the then president Eduardo dos Santos as governor of Cunene province, the border region between Namibia and Angola.

There, he defended Swapo-MPLA’s historical relations.

In 2008, Mutindi cautioned Namibian businesses operating within Angola that his government would take drastic action against them if they were found to be undermining the Swapo-led government in Namibia.

Mutindi’s critics say he failed to deliver development to Cunene Province, forcing its citizens to cross into Namibia, seeking healthcare and other services.

The Namibian reported in 2001 that Mutindi was flown to the Roman Catholic Hospital in Windhoek after sustaining “serious injuries” in a landmine blast near Ondjiva.

Hospital sources said at the time that Mutindi was in a “critical condition” in the hospital’s intensive care unit.