Swapo defends Luvindao

Swapo deputy secretary general Uahekua Herunga has defended president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s decision to appoint Esperance Luvindao as minister of health and social services.

Speaking to Desert FM yesterday, Herunga dismissed concerns that the new minister is inexperienced, saying no one enters a position with experience.

“When I was appointed as deputy minister of environment and later became the full minister, I had no experience, yet I delivered. It is about the character, skills, and willpower of an individual.

Luvindao has the qualifications, and this is her opportunity to gain experience,” he said.

He said downsizing the Cabinet was necessary to cut costs and redirect resources to critical sectors.

Herunga said the reduction of ministers from 21 to 14, with eight women in key positions, was a strategic decision.

“The president has the authority to appoint her ministers, and she has done just that. The decision to significantly reduce the number of ministers is to save costs and ensure resources are allocated where they are needed most,” he said.

However, critics argue that a smaller Cabinet could lead to inefficiencies and administrative bottlenecks.

Herunga dismissed this notion, saying it is better to have fewer ministers working with sufficient resources than a bloated Cabinet working with limited funding.