STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY DR HAGE G. GEINGOB, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE FIRST CABINET MEETING OF 2016

Dr. Hage Geingob writes the following introduction on his facebook page: "As I have declared 2016 as the Year of Implementation, I reminded Cabinet that our success as a Government depends on our ability to work in unison as one team with a common purpose; and to desist from developing silo mentalities, where we become holed up in our individual portfolios. We need to think as one and realise that the success in administering and executing the functions of the Government depends very much on team effort.

The philosophy of the Harambee Plan for Prosperity must penetrate all spheres and sectors of our society. Ministers must note that they are leaders, and must live and act the "Harambee way". The same goes for Permanent Secretaries and for all leaders in the Government sector.

Our Harambee Plan for Prosperity is applicable not only for the Government sector, but equally applies to the private sector, in our schools and other institutions of training and education and everywhere in society.

My statement is therefore copied below for your information and deliberation:

ON THE OCCASION OF THE FIRST CABINET MEETING OF 2016, FEBRUARY 2, 2016, WINDHOEK

I would like to welcome you all to the first Cabinet meeting of 2016, the Year of Implementation.

I trust that all of you had a well-deserved rest. I hope that we have all returned from our vacation with renewed vigour and a strong sense of purpose, ready to work hard in this New Year, as the challenges are many.

As all of you are aware, last year significant time was devoted to developing a shared Vision that will present the overarching framework for conducting our business going forward. I would like to thank all of you for contributing towards the Vision building process, in your daily engagements with the Namibian people.

There is no doubt – and we should be proud of it – that we have indeed succeeded in developing a shared Vision, not only as Cabinet or Government, but as a Nation at large. Vision building is not minor accomplishment, amidst an environment of high expectation, but we have succeeded. Today, the entire Nation, including those in the diaspora, has been re-energized and has rallied behind our common Vision. Across the length and width of our Republic, the Namibian people have embraced, rallied behind and internalized concepts such as the Namibian House, no one should feel left out and Harambee. Please click here to read the full speech as a pdf document...