Prayer warriors called to lead

By Allexer Namundjembo

Namibia has had political parties that based their philosophies on religion before. There were parties like the Christian Democratic Voice that was deregistered, but none of these parties or their leaders claimed to have been sent by God to lead Namibians into prosperity.

There is, however, a new breed of prayer warriors who claim to have had conversations with the Most High and were sent to release Namibians from ‘political bondage.’ The first was economist-exile-born Ally Angula, who announced that God had sent her to do his bidding by contesting as an independent presidential candidate in this year’s election set for November.

Angula’s rise in business is backed by a prestigious resume, which includes being taught at arguably the world’s best schools, including Harvard. Angula, at face value, has enjoyed a meteoric rise in her professional career coupled with top jobs in both the private and public sectors.

“I have held various leadership roles throughout my career. I was the Accountant General of the Republic of Namibia and Head of State Accounts, the youngest female partner at Swart Grant Angula (SGA) and KPMG, and the youngest non-executive Director in the history of the Central Bank of Namibia. “I have also served on corporate boards in Kenya, Africa, and Toronto, Canada,” a synopsis of her career on her campaign website. “I have chaired the MTC Listing Steering Committee, served as a Committee Chairperson of the Public Private Partnership Committee at the Ministry of Finance, and more,” she maintained.

The Harvard Business School graduate, and has WITS Business School, London Business School, and Gordon Institute of Business qualifications. Her high-end clothing retail, My Republik, closed shop after a stint at the prestigious Grove Mall for several reasons, including poor cash flow.

At one point, Angula’s firm, Leap, employed 51 hard workers to produce local crops to be sold all over Namibia, which would curb retailers’ reliance on imported fruits and vegetables.

She also provided scholarships to students keen to join her business empire.However, despite the decorated resume, Angula’s business ventures appear to have hit a stumbling block. Fast forward, Angula was appointed vice-chairperson at Oryx Properties, one of Namibia’s flagship property giants, which owns an extensive portfolio of shopping malls and residential outlets. She also served on the Boards of entities such as Rossing Old Mutual and as the youngest non-executive Director at the Bank of Namibia. Earlier this year, the chartered accountant, once one of the youngest partners at a reputable audit firm, KPMG, also landed in hot water due to debt.

Angula lost a court battle with Nedbank Namibia over a personal loan agreement totalling over N$ 4,7 million with a business partner. She failed to repay her loan timeously and fell into default, totalling 1,2 million, prompting NedBank Namibia to drag her before the jaws of justice. She has now turned to God, saying she wants to run the country to usher in a new paradigm shift for Namibia – the world’s second-most equal society. Angula, to the surprise of a few, threw her hat in the race to contest for the presidency despite no known political know-how, saying only she was hit by a divine calling. “Three years ago, I was nudged by the Lord to run for the presidency in a dream, very, very clear. I am honouring that call and being obedient to it, trusting that He will accomplish what He wants to through my running. “I know for sure that it was the Lord talking to me because there are many things that He has shown me to build up my confidence.

“I believe that it is Him speaking, as some of what He revealed has already come true in some form or shape,” Angula told a local radio station. In 2018, Angula secured yet a prestigious job as Deputy Executive Director in the Ministry of Finance, only to resign after barely a year after a fallout with the top hierarchy for purportedly ‘blocking’ her intended reforms. Angula has since roped in Kennedy Ilonga’s National Empowerment Fighting Corruption (NEFC) and the United People’s Movement (UPM) led by Jan van Wyk. It also appears that Van Wyk has seen the light because he, too, gushed: “God instructed Angula to make herself available. She is not contesting because she wants to, but she is contesting because God told her to prepare and contest. I understand the urgent need to address Namibia’s high cost of living. “To alleviate this, I plan to implement measures such as removing VAT on all basic food items and water, removing fuel levies that subsidise Namcor, and increasing the old age pension to N$2500. These measures will help to make everyday living more affordable for all Namibians,” he said.

Van Wyk said: “To secure the future, I plan to make constitutional amendments to guarantee the birthright of Namibians to national natural resources, “I also plan to invest in quality education for all children, reintroduce sports into all of our schools, and send out 5000 young Namibians every year for the next five years to get skilled up in different countries. This is our investment in securing the future of Namibia,” he opined. In a dramatic turn of events, God also instructed Lydia Kandetu to run for the highest office in the land, albeit in relative obscurity. The former CEO of Karibib town council said she is also contesting for president in this year’s election, which she termed “God’s plan.”

Kandetu, who recently surfaced by announcing her candidacy via her social media platforms, said it had been God’s plan for her to contest. “I am not standing as an independent candidate, but standing as a leader of the Innovation Movement, a political party that is being established for times such as this. It has been God’s plan from the beginning,” she said. Kandetu said her victory was sure, as God would never disappoint them. “Our victory is certain. Our God will never disappoint us. I started this journey 27 years ago, and God has given me the spirit to serve the nation.

“I asked God that if he has no body who will bring changes for our country, to send me so that I can represent him, and the permission was granted,” Kandetu added. Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah said that invoking personal values, including religious beliefs, is typical among political candidates worldwide. “While stating that God instructed them to run can resonate with voters in a deeply religious country like Namibia, it is insufficient.

“Candidates need to present concrete policy proposals addressing the country’s issues, such as the economy, development, education, and healthcare. And corruption,” Kamwanyah said. Kamwanyah added that it depends on the context of the candidates’ campaigns. “If such claims are used to distract from a lack of substantive policy proposals, then voters may indeed see it as a deceptive tactic,” he said. He said voters might view their candidacy more favourably if they genuinely believe in their divine calling and provide clear and effective policy plans.