Prepare to occupy strategic positions – Swartbooi tells LPM

Landless People’s Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi has asked party members to do more to occupy a strategic place in the upcoming National Assembly elections.

Swartbooi made the call at the party’s first convention in Windhoek on Saturday.

“We must do all we can for the coming general elections to occupy a strategic place in the National Assembly.”

He said people need not fear the political elites who impose a “negative freedom” on citizens.

“If you speak out, you are doomed. We are breaking that wall of silence, that wall of fear,” he said.

Swartbooi noted that he is happy with the work being done on the ground so far.

“We must intensify our collective efforts throughout the country. We must recognise that our fight results in positive freedom for the three million Namibians.”

Swartbooi said in taking a position on issues and advocating for change, members are enlarging the space for positive freedom to be exercised, where people are able to better organise their lives and that of their families.

Swartbooi said when the voting system is improved and when the electoral commission is more independent, the veneer of political strength and popular support from the people is removed, and parties are made “barren and stand naked”.

“Just look at the ANC, while it undoubtedly remains the largest political party in South Africa, it could not govern alone as it did not win the elections, as before when they had better control over the systems of elections,” he said.

The LPM convention elected 60 members of the political action committee.

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