Beware of ‘ghosts and whirlwinds’: Ithana

POLITICAL parties such as the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) are “whirlwinds and ghosts”.

This was said by Swapo Secretary General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana at a well-attended Swapo Party rally at Ongwediva on Saturday. She called on Namibians to rally behind Swapo, saying it was the only political party that brought independence and unity to all Namibians.Whirlwinds, she said, picked up light objects but were short-lived and these items fell to the ground again when the winds died down.”Those who are following those political parties, such as the RDP, that don’t even have a constitution, and whose leaders have appointed themselves, should know that they are following whirlwinds that will die quickly, and they will fall down again where they were before and will not know what to do,” Iivula-Ithana said.She said that former Swapo members who had been swept away by “whirlwinds” still had a chance to repent and return to Swapo.”Don’t follow the ghosts, let us not be taken away by the whirlwinds.RDP leaders are dreaming,” Iivula-Ithana said.”Namibian nation, you and Swapo, we all together have come a long way, and I am appealing to you to continue to unite in Swapo, your truly political party, that liberated you and brought you were you are today.”Parties such as RDP were lobbying young people, who had not experienced the war, to join their parties and destroy the peace and stability that had been won with suffering and sacrifice, she claimed.”I am calling upon the youth of Namibia to think carefully when joining those whirlwinds political parties, because they will go nowhere with them,” she said.She also urged Namibia’s youth to obey their parents and to stick to their traditional norms and values.Iivula-Ithana said today’s children did not respect their parents and other adults.”We old leaders might retire one of these days, but there is a big worry about who is going to rule this country and keep it in the right direction if the Namibian youth of today behave themselves like that,” she said.She said Government had abolished corporal punishment in schools, but now there were reports of a pupil beating up a teacher at Swakopmund.”Please young people, behave and follow your parents’ good advice and do not follow those people who like money, high posts and status, such as RDP leaders who say Swapo has lost vision.”She told the meeting that the Swapo Government had provided clean water, roads, schools, hospitals, clinics and railways to improve people’s living standards.She commended the Ongwediva Town Council for keeping the town clean and creating an attractive environment for investors.She called on Namibians to rally behind Swapo, saying it was the only political party that brought independence and unity to all Namibians.Whirlwinds, she said, picked up light objects but were short-lived and these items fell to the ground again when the winds died down.”Those who are following those political parties, such as the RDP, that don’t even have a constitution, and whose leaders have appointed themselves, should know that they are following whirlwinds that will die quickly, and they will fall down again where they were before and will not know what to do,” Iivula-Ithana said.She said that former Swapo members who had been swept away by “whirlwinds” still had a chance to repent and return to Swapo.”Don’t follow the ghosts, let us not be taken away by the whirlwinds.RDP leaders are dreaming,” Iivula-Ithana said.”Namibian nation, you and Swapo, we all together have come a long way, and I am appealing to you to continue to unite in Swapo, your truly political party, that liberated you and brought you were you are today.”Parties such as RDP were lobbying young people, who had not experienced the war, to join their parties and destroy the peace and stability that had been won with suffering and sacrifice, she claimed.”I am calling upon the youth of Namibia to think carefully when joining those whirlwinds political parties, because they will go nowhere with them,” she said.She also urged Namibia’s youth to obey their parents and to stick to their traditional norms and values.Iivula-Ithana said today’s children did not respect their parents and other adults.”We old leaders might retire one of these days, but there is a big worry about who is going to rule this country and keep it in the right direction if the Namibian youth of today behave themselves like that,” she said.She said Government had abolished corporal punishment in schools, but now there were reports of a pupil beating up a teacher at Swakopmund.”Please young people, behave and follow your parents’ good advice and do not follow those people who like money, high posts and status, such as RDP leaders who say Swapo has lost vision.”She told the meeting that the Swapo Government had provided clean water, roads, schools, hospitals, clinics and railways to improve people’s living standards.She commended the Ongwediva Town Council for keeping the town clean and creating an attractive environment for investors.