Otjozondjupa nullified again

By: JAN POOLMAN

THE Swapo secretariat, for the second time, declared the results of the Otjozondjupa regional conference held at Otjiwarongo last weekend null and void.

An extraordinary secretariat meeting, chaired by Swapo deputy secretary general Nangolo Mbumba, was held yesterday to discuss the report of the chairperson of the Swapo leaders assigned to the region, Richard Kamwi, on the Otjozondjupa regional conference.
Kamwi and fellow Swapo leaders Petrus Iilonga, David Namwandi and Eliphas Dingara walked out of the meeting last Saturday.
They were, with Finance Deputy Minister Calle Schlettwein, Swapo’s Chief Whip in the National Assembly Peter Katjavivi and Swapo MP Juliet Kavetuna, to verify, authenticate and correct mistakes of the past conference.
Although the latter group remained in the conference the others walked out after the regional leadership decided not to allow the delegates of the Okahandja district to be part of the conference.
Kamwi earlier told The Namibian that he could not attend the regional conference when the regional leadership was defying decisions taken by the Politburo and Central Committee.
The Politburo and Central Committee had earlier given the green light for the delegates of the Okahandja district who were elected on September 8 to attend the regional conference.
The confusion surrounding the Okahandja district was also the cause for the nullification of the first regional conference of the Otjozondjupa Region.
The acting regional coordinator, Susan Hikopua, apparently also provided two different times for the holding of the regional executive committee meeting and when Kamwi and the other leaders arrived at Otjiwarongo the meeting had already discussed the issue of Okahandja, which was ultimately barred from the conference.
In the meantime the Otjozondjupa governor, Rapama Kamehozu, has also requested the removal of Kamwi as the chairperson of the Swapo leaders assigned to the Otjozondjupa Region.
The Swapo secretariat yesterday decided that due to the irregularities during the last conference and the defiance of decisions of the party’s Politburo and Central Committee the regional conference should be nullified.  
Another regional conference has to be held on November 10 and the delegates of the Okahandja district elected on September 8 should attend that conference.
It also emerged that Hikopua, who was elected as regional coordinator, does not meet the requirement of 10 years’ membership before someone can serve in such a leadership position in Swapo.

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