As a matter of fact

PRESIDENT Sam Nujoma and Swapo Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange this weekend criticised The Namibian, telling the newspaper to “stop telling lies”.

Addressing the Swapo Congress at the end of the election, Nujoma criticised a late-night story published on Friday that he had allegedly tried to push the Politburo to oust former Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya. “[Prophets] of doom and imperialists announced that I was pushing out Hidipo.Hidipo is there,” he said, pointing to Hamutenya who was sitting in the second row.Tjiriange on Friday described the story as “the fabrication of the year”.”The Namibian newspaper must stop telling lies,” said Tjiriange, singling out the newspaper.Speculation around Hamutenya’s possible sanction by the party followed his dismissal as Foreign Minister for allegedly breaching Swapo rules.The information was conveyed and confirmed to The Namibian by several sources connected to the various candidates, and was thus printed in good faith.It has since emerged that the report was incorrect and that the Politburo did not discuss Hamutenya the night before the landmark conference that saw three candidates in a tense race for Swapo’s presidential nomination.”[Prophets] of doom and imperialists announced that I was pushing out Hidipo.Hidipo is there,” he said, pointing to Hamutenya who was sitting in the second row.Tjiriange on Friday described the story as “the fabrication of the year”.”The Namibian newspaper must stop telling lies,” said Tjiriange, singling out the newspaper.Speculation around Hamutenya’s possible sanction by the party followed his dismissal as Foreign Minister for allegedly breaching Swapo rules.The information was conveyed and confirmed to The Namibian by several sources connected to the various candidates, and was thus printed in good faith.It has since emerged that the report was incorrect and that the Politburo did not discuss Hamutenya the night before the landmark conference that saw three candidates in a tense race for Swapo’s presidential nomination.