Local News Summary : News Headlines : Discussion Forums

Monday, April 29, 2002 - Web posted at 8:48:15 pm GMT

It's business as usual as Kapia is re-elected to SPYL position

PAULUS Kapia retained his position as Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) Secretary on Friday, garnering 277 votes against Maleachi Ilonga's 97 at the SPYL Congress.

Following the announcement of the result, Kapia was lifted shoulder-high by cheering and ululating Swapo cadres.

Evelyn Nawases (26) also had an easy victory. She collected 237 votes and her opponent, Gerson Kamatuka (33), 129 votes.

The Congress also elected 32 delegates to serve on the 50-person SPYL Central Committee.

The issue of Kapia's age did not come up during the Congress. He will turn 35 in September and the SPYL constitution states that anyone over 35 is not eligible for membership of the youth organisation.

On Kapia's apparent evergreen status in the organisation, Peya Mushelenga, a member of the SPYL Central Committee, maintained the age limit for the Deputy Secretary of SPYL was 35 while the age limit for the position of Secretary was 45.

Mushelenga said "it wasn't raised at all. The issue of age was a non-issue. I don't know why people say he or she (the Secretary) should not be older than 35."

According to him, the SPYL Constitution states that the age limit for the position of Secretary is 45 while the one for the Deputy Secretary is 35.

Some delegates said Kapia's re-election was a foregone conclusion since he was nominated by the SPYL Central Committee and SPYL Committee members were prohibited from nominating any another candidate in terms of the party's code of conduct.

Sources said Ilonga's attempt to oust his colleague through the ballot box was made even more difficult because party heavyweights, including President Sam Nujoma, had backed Kapia.

In his acceptance speech, an exuberant Kapia said: "You voted for us because you want us to deliver. You voted for us because you want us to shape the future of the party, you want us to achieve economic development. You voted for us because you want peace, unity."

"We will make sure that what we did not achieve in the past five years we will accomplish in the next five years," said Kapia.

Some of the prominent Swapo cadres who were elected onto the SPYL Central Committee include National Planning Commission Director General Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Pohamba Shifeta, Peya Mushelenga, Ambrosius Kandji and John Walenga.