Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of the Republic of Namibia has been named
the winner of the Mo Ibrahim African Leadership award in 2014, edging
out former President Mwai Kibaki. AFP PHOTO |
AFP
Namibia’s President has been named the winner of the Mo Ibrahim
African Leadership award in 2014, edging out former President Mwai
Kibaki.
The Namibian leader, Mr Hefikepunye Pohamba,
was picked for the award, which comes with a $5 million (Sh460m) cash
prize for his exemplary performance.
His term expired in December last year but he is yet to hand over the mantle because the new president has not been sworn in.
The
chairman of the prize committee, Mr Salim Ahmed Salim, said the
Namibian President edged out Mr Kibaki and other leaders who have left
office over the past three years.
“I can assure you
President Kibaki was one of those we considered but he was beaten to the
prize,” said Mr Salim, the former secretary-general of the Organisation
of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union.
Having
handed over power peacefully, introduced programmes like the free
primary education and developed mega infrastructure projects,
expectations were high that Mr Kibaki would win the prize.
LOW PROFILE
However,
he was beaten by Mr Pohamba, who has kept a low profile throughout his
decade in leadership, and won ,despite being the leader of one of the
youngest democracies in Africa.
Mr Pohamba won the
hearts of the prize committee for transformations he made in his country
within a short time, and by upholding good governance, good leadership
and excellence.
“President Pohamba’s focus in forging
national cohesion and reconciliation at a key stage in Namibia’s
consolidation of democracy and social and economic development impressed
the prize committee. His ability to command confidence and trust of the
people is exemplary.
During the decade of his
presidential mandate, he demonstrated sound and wise leadership.
Notably, he maintained his humility throughout the presidency,” noted
the committee.
The Sh460m will be paid over 10 years and thereafter $200,000 paid to him annually for a lifetime.
The
founder and chairman of the foundation, Mr Mo Ibrahim, said the leader
of the South African country, was a role model for the kind of
leadership Africa requires to progress.
“Africa is not
only about those who have been bad, such as Mobutu Seseseko and the
rest. There are leaders who are quite humble and who continue to make
great sacrifices for their people,” he said.
GENDER PARITY
Mr
Salim said Namibia had made progress in offering free primary
education, lowering the rate of HIV/Aids infection and improving gender
parity in leadership.
He noted that 48 per cent of MPs are women.
However, there are still challenges like widening economic and social inequality.
Another
member of the committee, former South African First Lady Graca Machel,
said the award of the prize to Mr Pohamba was an indication that African
leaders can make progress despite challenges facing their countries.
“The
award does not seek to recognise perfect leadership, but leaders who
have made some efforts to transform the lives of their people through
good governance, leadership and excellence,” she said.
OTHER WINNERS
Other
past winners of the award include former Mozambique President Joaquim
Chissano, (2007) Festus Mogae of Botswana (2008) and Pedro Pires of Cape
Verde (2011).
Former South African President Nelson Mandela was also made the inaugural honorary winner in 2007.
However,
there were no winners in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013, after the committee
found no worthy winner, after what they termed as an in-depth review.
The
award, founded by Sudanese-British telecoms entrepreneur and
billionaire Mo Ibrahim, is given to a democratically-elected former head
of state who left office in the previous three years and who
demonstrated exceptional leadership while abiding by constitutional term
limits.
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