The Republican Party of Namibia launched its manifesto for the 2024 election in Windhoek on Wednesday. 

The party's manifesto promises to reduce the country's national debt, which is over 60% of the gross domestic product (GDP). 

The party's President Henk Mudge says the country's debt is unsustainable, and the party would want to change that by nationalising the nation's natural resources, or mines, by making them properties of the government. 

"The best way to generate funds for the government and for us to repay our debt as quickly as possible is for us to nationalise our mines. And we will nationalise those mines, and we will put the mining of our natural resources out on tender and make sure that natural resources reach the surface; they will be the property of the government, and we will sell them at the prices and rates these people are getting." 

RP's manifesto, Mudge says, will also look into how to improve the country's agriculture sector, the land reform policy, and the resettlement policy.

Mudge says his party is not against land reform. However, they do not agree with the current land distribution policy. 

"What needs to be done is black farmers who can farm who have the ability and potential to farm good. We need to allocate to them and assist them with finances and technical support to make sure that they become prosperous farmers and contribute to our economy. That is what we need to do, and this was not done." 

The party also promised to expropriate farms from people who are not using them for farming and give them to people who can farm productively. 

"If the RP ever comes to power and I am the president of this country, I will expropriate every single farm that was allocated up to now, and I will allocate those farms to farmers who can farm, and I will also expropriate the farms that are given to businesspeople in Windhoek and use them as a weekend retreat. Something drastic needs to happen; we cannot, and the way the land reform policy has been implemented up to now is a complete disaster, and the only way is to start again because there are 100 farms taken out of the economic system because these people don't produce." 

Mudge also expressed concern over what he termed an increase in violence against women, children, and vulnerable people, promising that the party will make it a priority to address domestic violence and gender-based violence in the country once in power. 

"I can tell you that if I become the president of this country, the laws that will be implemented will change. If a man rapes, he will go to jail for life. If they die in jail, let them die. That is what needs to be done. The abuse of women is unacceptable, and I think there is much that needs to be done to solve that problem." 

He attributes most of the crime recorded to the abuse of alcohol, promising that the party will address this as well. 

"In any case, we have not addressed this in our manifesto, but if I am president, I can guarantee you I will close all gambling houses and close 70% to 80% of shebeens. There is no question about that. We are not a people who need to be drunk every single day and commit these crimes I spoke of."