Swapo members ordered to toe line - or face the music

By: * CHRISTOF MALETSKY at GOBABIS

A SWAPO official has vowed to stamp out dissent within the party and bring to book "elements" who he claims want to promote division through internal feuding.

The ruling party's Regional Co-ordinator for Omaheke, Festus

Ueitele, made the statement on Saturday, when he opened the party's

Gobabis district conference, which elected new leaders.

GARAGE MEETING The conference took place under a cloud of

controversy.

 

It was hotly disputed by a section of the party because of the

way in which delegates were elected or nominated.

 

Some were allegedly not Swapo card-carrying members at the time

they were "handpicked" at a hush-hush meeting held in a garage.

 

Over the past few weeks, Swapo members at Gobabis, Okahandja and

Otjiwarongo have levelled accusations of backstabbing and illegal

procedures as branch officials were replaced without the knowledge

or involvement of the incumbents.

 

The party is ostensibly revamping its district structures ahead

of its congress next year, and insiders say elements within the

party are using the process to ensure that their grouping will be

most powerfully placed.

 

According to Ueitele, branch co-ordinators had never reported

any irregularities about the selection process at Gobabis to

him.

 

Thus, he charged on Saturday, reports of unhappiness were

"fabricated" by "certain elements and reactionaries" within the

party.

 

He claimed that allegations of division and unhappiness about

the "revitalisation process" were aimed at tarnishing the image of

the party.

 

"They want to sabotage Swapo and instigate the nation at

large.

 

Swapo will call the culprits to book," said Ueitele, who heads

Swapo operations in the Omaheke Region.

 

He was supported by Omaheke Governor Laura McLeod.

 

'YOU MUST COMPLY' McLeod said the party allowed free discussions

and members were expected to comply with decisions.

 

"The moment a decision is made, all the other members must join

in.

 

Subsequently, there is no need for negative campaigning," she

said following elections at the district conference.

 

She called on members to stop pointing fingers at each

other.

 

"Let bygones be bygones.

 

What we need is to find a way forward.

 

Let us, here in this conference, bury our differences and march

forward because the future of this beautiful country is in our

hands," McLeod said.

 

But she was addressing a select few.

 

Those who complained about the tactics used to nominate people

to the conference were excluded and thus absent from the

conference.

 

One unhappy Swapo member said the conference just rubber-stamped

a decision taken earlier in the week to re-elect incumbent district

co-ordinator and Gobabis Mayor Platini Katjaoha.

 

Katjaoha refused to talk to The Namibian about events leading up

to the conference.

 

He told conference delegates that the party would not "waver or

compromise, even though some individuals have done so".

 

He did not elaborate on his statement.

 

Together with Katjaoha, Job Muniaro was elected as district

mobiliser and Liberius Kalili as treasurer.

 

The excluded Swapo members claimed that both Ueitele and McLeod

had sided with the three new leaders.

 

McLeod admitted that Muniaro would face "a heavy task".

 

She said there was a lack of faith in the democratic process

within Swapo and a lack of instruments to contain what she termed

the "creeping tribalism and infighting".

 

McLeod said the party also lacked a mechanism to deal with

indiscipline at district level.

 

The Swapo Regional Co-ordinator for Omaheke, Festus Ueitele,

claimed the conference was transparent.

 

Unhappy party members claim that a meeting to identify those who

would attend the district conference was conducted in the garage of

Epukiro Regional Councillor Brave Tjizera.

 

No one has yet denied that the garage meeting took place.

 

In addition, those sidelined claim that people who did not meet

the party criterion of five-year membership to qualify for a

leadership position were named as section and branch leaders.

 

At Saturday's conference, leaders of the regional executive who

conducted the election were presented with the membership cards of

some of the individuals, but it nonetheless remained unclear when

the cards were issued.

 

The dissatisfied members said they were still waiting for

Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange to reply to their

complaints.

 

However, judging by Saturday's events, it appeared a foregone

conclusion that those elected at the conference would be accepted

at the head office.

 

GARAGE MEETING The conference took place under a cloud of

controversy.It was hotly disputed by a section of the party because

of the way in which delegates were elected or nominated.Some were

allegedly not Swapo card-carrying members at the time they were

"handpicked" at a hush-hush meeting held in a garage.Over the past

few weeks, Swapo members at Gobabis, Okahandja and Otjiwarongo have

levelled accusations of backstabbing and illegal procedures as

branch officials were replaced without the knowledge or involvement

of the incumbents. The party is ostensibly revamping its district

structures ahead of its congress next year, and insiders say

elements within the party are using the process to ensure that

their grouping will be most powerfully placed.According to Ueitele,

branch co-ordinators had never reported any irregularities about

the selection process at Gobabis to him.Thus, he charged on

Saturday, reports of unhappiness were "fabricated" by "certain

elements and reactionaries" within the party.He claimed that

allegations of division and unhappiness about the "revitalisation

process" were aimed at tarnishing the image of the party."They want

to sabotage Swapo and instigate the nation at large.Swapo will call

the culprits to book," said Ueitele, who heads Swapo operations in

the Omaheke Region.He was supported by Omaheke Governor Laura

McLeod.'YOU MUST COMPLY' McLeod said the party allowed free

discussions and members were expected to comply with decisions."The

moment a decision is made, all the other members must join

in.Subsequently, there is no need for negative campaigning," she

said following elections at the district conference.She called on

members to stop pointing fingers at each other."Let bygones be

bygones.What we need is to find a way forward.Let us, here in this

conference, bury our differences and march forward because the

future of this beautiful country is in our hands," McLeod said.But

she was addressing a select few.Those who complained about the

tactics used to nominate people to the conference were excluded and

thus absent from the conference.One unhappy Swapo member said the

conference just rubber-stamped a decision taken earlier in the week

to re-elect incumbent district co-ordinator and Gobabis Mayor

Platini Katjaoha.Katjaoha refused to talk to The Namibian about

events leading up to the conference.He told conference delegates

that the party would not "waver or compromise, even though some

individuals have done so".He did not elaborate on his

statement.Together with Katjaoha, Job Muniaro was elected as

district mobiliser and Liberius Kalili as treasurer.The excluded

Swapo members claimed that both Ueitele and McLeod had sided with

the three new leaders.McLeod admitted that Muniaro would face "a

heavy task".She said there was a lack of faith in the democratic

process within Swapo and a lack of instruments to contain what she

termed the "creeping tribalism and infighting".McLeod said the

party also lacked a mechanism to deal with indiscipline at district

level.The Swapo Regional Co-ordinator for Omaheke, Festus Ueitele,

claimed the conference was transparent.Unhappy party members claim

that a meeting to identify those who would attend the district

conference was conducted in the garage of Epukiro Regional

Councillor Brave Tjizera.No one has yet denied that the garage

meeting took place.In addition, those sidelined claim that people

who did not meet the party criterion of five-year membership to

qualify for a leadership position were named as section and branch

leaders.At Saturday's conference, leaders of the regional executive

who conducted the election were presented with the membership cards

of some of the individuals, but it nonetheless remained unclear

when the cards were issued.The dissatisfied members said they were

still waiting for Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange to reply

to their complaints.However, judging by Saturday's events, it

appeared a foregone conclusion that those elected at the conference

would be accepted at the head office.

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