Shanghala defends his boss

ATTORNEY general Sacky Shanghala has denied the story that he wanted to quit although those close to him said he told them the article was correct.

reported on Friday that Shanghala had considered resigning on two occasions because he felt his Cabinet colleagues doubted his work, and that he believed President Hage Geingob was about to fire him.

The story also revealed that some ministers are frustrated, by among other things, Geingob’s modus operandi, which includes throwing his officials under the bus. A pro-Geingob senior government official from State House, who declined to be named, said that story was “much better”, while people close to Shanghala said the attorney general confided to them on Friday that the story was correct.

Yet, sources said Shanghala felt he needed to publicly defend Geingob because the story appeared to show the President in a bad light.

“The attorney general categorically wishes to distance himself from any claims that he wanted to resign,” Shanghala said in a statement issued on Friday. He said claims stating that Geingob is “frustrating” ministers is shockingly “inaccurate and disrespectful”.

“The averments made by Shinovene Immanuel are so unfounded that the whole article reads like an empty hypothesis, proof of which only the writer can make up,” Shanghala said.

“I herewith place on record that such averments are untrue, and are solely intended to tarnish the good name of his Excellency, the President,” the attorney general said. was informed that Shanghala was a frustrated man between 2016 to March this year, to such an extent that he felt unappreciated that Geingob trusted his personal lawyer, Sisa Namandje, more than the attorney general.

This frustration escalated when he and works minister Alpheus !Naruseb attempted to renegotiate the N$7 billion airport contract with a Chinese company which had won the tender.

The two agreed to meet the Chinese company about two weeks before a Supreme Court judgement was set to be handed down in March this year.

Geingob instructed Shanghala and the minister to back off from the negotiations and wait for the judgement. Geingob’s directive, which turned out to be correct, was not only a victory for government, but it was also a win for Namandje, who represented the state in that court case.

Shanghala said in his latest statement that he works at the behest of the President with pleasure, and will diligently continue to do so.

“I will do so until the President deems it fit to withdraw the honour he has bestowed upon me,” he added. The President is accused of sometimes intimidating his officials to such an extent that some of them are reluctant to correct him or risk being labelled as being against him.

A minister who spoke to this newspaper last week expressed the hope that the news story about intimidation might convince the head of state to create a better working environment with his officials.

State House spokesperson Albertus Aochamub told that Geingob would be hosting quarterly reviews with ministers to discuss their performance.

“It is the ideal platform for ministers to raise issues pertaining to performance, and how the President, as coach and leader, can help them grow,” he noted.