Govt 'helps' Nujoma film
20/05/2005 14:13  - (SA)  

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Windhoek - A Namibian film on the life of former president and national hero Sam Nujoma has run into financial problems, prompting the government to step in with a $10m injection to shore up the project.

Based on Nujoma's 2001 autobiography Where Others Wavered, the film stars American actors Danny Glover of Lethal Weapon fame and Carl Lumbly, who plays Nujoma, and is directed by American Charles Burnett.

Production that started three weeks ago has been plagued with problems with crew mostly hired from South Africa and Namibia complaining that they were not getting paid.

Facing criticism from the opposition, deputy minister of Information and Broadcasting Raphael Dinyando defended in parliament this week the government's involvement in the movie venture.

"If the film project is allowed to collapse, the money already spent is lost for good", Dinyando said.

"It has become an international project and if abandoned will bring long-lasting damage to Namibia as a potential filmmaking country," he said as the opposition Congress of Democrats charged that taxpayers' money should be better spent.

Dinyando said the Namibian government was contributing Nam$65m to the film project.

Following an initial grant of Nam$15m, the government last week earmarked an additional Nam$50m to ensure that the film does make it to the silver screen, he said.

Nujoma, 76, stepped down in March after 15 years in power in Namibia, a former German colony until World War I that was ruled by apartheid South Africa until its independence in 1990.

In his 450-page autobiography, Nujoma recounts his years as leader of Namibia's Swapo movement which led the liberation struggle from apartheid rule until it was swept to power at independence.

The film Where Others Wavered is a project of the government-funded institute Pan-African Centre of Namibia (Pacon), which has close ties with the ruling SWAPO party.

But allegations of mismanagement of funds prompted Nujoma to order an investigation into the film project just before handing over to his successor Hifikepunye Pohamba.

The film premiere is scheduled to be held in December with Nujoma as guest of honour.

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