President strikes back

PRESIDENT Hage Geingob described former deputy land reform minister Bernadus Swartbooi as an angry and frustrated man.

Geingob made these remarks at a media conference at State House yesterday, where he also assured the public that the country's economy is now better, and that he is not silent on corruption in government. The President was asked why he has so far only fired Swartbooi, while other leaders who made tribal remarks continue holding their jobs. Geingob started by explaining Swartbooi's dismissal last year when he made statements that he did not report to land reform minister Utoni Nujoma. “We wrote him a letter to apologise, but he refused. Instead of apologising, he just attacked the minister. Two weeks later, he was on radio saying 'I will never apologise',” Geingob added. The President said he called in Swartbooi to explain to him that he should apologise for using his deputy ministerial position to tell the public that he does not report to Nujoma. “I invited him to State House. When I walked into the room, the man was burning. As if something was smelling,” Geingob said, adding that he tried to break the ice by joking, but the former deputy minister would have none of it. “I joked and said, hello, good morning. He was angry. I said, 'why are you angry?',” Geingob said. The President claims he told Swartbooi that government does not want him to apologise because of his remarks on the land issue, but his comments that he did not report to Nujoma. “I took out the appointment letter that says he should work under the minister. When I read that, he just burst out, attacking the minister with all kinds of things,” Geingob said.