Carnage at CoD congress 100 delegates stage walkout

HIGH drama, culminating in a mass walkout, marked the Congress of Democrats (CoD) extraordinary congress at Keetmanshoop this weekend.

Tensions spilled over after party leader Ben Ulenga’s supporters engineered his victory over a rival candidate for the presidential post. While Ulenga hung on to his post, opposition politics in general and the CoD in particular are ultimately likely to be seen as the biggest losers.Analysts were quick to point out yesterday that, if the divisions of the weekend prevailed, bitter infighting would have robbed the party of some its most outstanding leaders.Gone from the top leadership are: * the party’s two most effective parliamentarians, Nora Schimming-Chase (Vice President) and Kala Gertze (Secretary General); * Ignatius Shixwameni, one of the party’s most articulate politicians; * Women’s League leader and MP Elma Dienda.Accusations of tribalism, the unfair selection of delegates and “smuggling in” delegates from the four north-central regions at the last moment were hurled during the extraordinary congress.Two clear camps had emerged ahead of the weekend: a pro-Ulenga camp and those critical of what they described as his weak leadership style.”What happened here and the way the congress was manipulated and hijacked is an insult to us, as some school children were bussed in,” Shixwameni, spokesperson for the breakaway faction, told the delegates.”The (re-elected) president clearly stated that he wanted to choose his leadership according to his wishes (and not elect them).We take exception to that and cannot remain part of this congress anymore.We as members will go out and continue as CoD and wish you good luck,” Shixwameni exclaimed to loud applause from the approximately 100 people who then walked out of the hall with him.Among them were Vice President Schimming-Chase, Secretary General Gertze, Women’s League leader Dienda and veteran politician and CoD member Moses Katjiuongua.After the walkout, the group met at a nearby hotel briefly to discuss the way forward.”We will remain in the party, but will map out a way over the next two weeks,” Shixwameni told The Namibian.”The group left in the hall now does not have a quorum and thus all further decisions taken by them will be invalid,” Schimming-Chase said.ULENGA GROUP However, the group under Ulenga continued unperturbed and elected an unknown delegate from the Caprivi, Alfred Chilinda, as its new Vice President and an Ulenga confidante, Rosa Namises, as Secretary General.”The walkout is deplorable,” Ulenga told The Namibian, “but the delegates left in the hall are definitely the majority, about 150, and eight of 15 regions are represented”.The CoD has divided Namibia into 15 regions in terms of its party structure.”We took names and numbers down so we can prove that,” said Tsudao Gurirab, a staunch Ulenga supporter.Shixwameni and Gertze disputed that.”The entire delegates of Karas, Hardap, Oshikoto South and Kunene South walked out with us, as well as part of Caprivi, Khomas, Erongo, Oshikoto North and Otjozondjupa regions, we are clearly in the majority,” the two men said.The CoD party constitution does not define what percentage or number of delegates is required to form a quorum at a congress.”This is a weakness in the constitution and requires attention in future,” Tsudao Gurirab acknowledged.Ulenga pocketed 155 out of 309 votes during the second round of a gruelling 12-hour election process from late Saturday evening all through the night until mid-morning yesterday, while Ignatius Shixwameni received 141 votes and one ballot paper was spoilt.Voting only started at 04h00 in the early hours of yesterday with a third presidential candidate, Nora Schimming-Chase in the race, but she received the lowest votes in that first round, 49, and then withdrew in favour of Shixwameni, who had 87, and Ulenga with 114.Some 57 ballot papers were unmarked and thus regarded as spoilt.”This shows you that some delegates protested silently by not filling out the ballot papers,” CoD member Peter Kandjimi said.By 08h00 yesterday, the second round started and two hours later Ulenga supporters ran outside, shouting “Viva Ulenga” and dancing.”Now that I am re-elected we have to transform CoD and put in new structures,” Ulenga told reporters.At Friday’s opening ceremony, Ulenga had tried to distance himself from what he labelled the “so-called leadership crisis in CoD”.He blamed a lack of co-operation within the leadership as well as “tribalism and regionalism”.But the same criticism came from the rebel faction.”We were called ‘kwangaras’ (a derogatory term for non-Oshiwambo speakers) here this weekend.People said we as Kavangos should not mix with kwangaras and coloureds, as they would not win against the Owambos,” several enraged CoD members told The Namibian.They even provided the names of those who allegedly made such statements.”We now have a north-south divide in the party, but if Nora Schimming-Chase had not opted to stand for the presidency, the Khomas delegation of 45, which was the largest group, would not have been splitting the votes between her and Shixwameni.He could have won in the first round, since Ulenga only received 114 votes,” according to another CoD member.FUTURE IN BALANCE In Ulenga’s view, the congress was unnecessary and money down the drain.”We spent N$300 000 for the entire congress and we did not even discuss any important topics, we just came here to vote! I fear for the unity of our party after the group walked out,” he added.The three candidates had to give a motivational speech and then endure a 45-minute session each of questions from the floor – all behind closed doors.Although a new leadership was elected by a section of the delegates this weekend, three of the former leaders, Gertze, Dienda and Schimming-Chase, will keep their seats in Parliament for the time being.Ulenga could replace them, but has to provide valid reasons.Former CoD chairman Tsudao Gurirab was again nominated again as chairman.He initially refused, but as there were no other nominations, he finally accepted.Ben Kapi was elected as treasurer general.The congress was still electing the national executive committee late yesterday afternoon.While Ulenga hung on to his post, opposition politics in general and the CoD in particular are ultimately likely to be seen as the biggest losers.Analysts were quick to point out yesterday that, if the divisions of the weekend prevailed, bitter infighting would have robbed the party of some its most outstanding leaders.Gone from the top leadership are: * the party’s two most effective parliamentarians, Nora Schimming-Chase (Vice President) and Kala Gertze (Secretary General); * Ignatius Shixwameni, one of the party’s most articulate politicians; * Women’s League leader and MP Elma Dienda. Accusations of tribalism, the unfair selection of delegates and “smuggling in” delegates from the four north-central regions at the last moment were hurled during the extraordinary congress.Two clear camps had emerged ahead of the weekend: a pro-Ulenga camp and those critical of what they described as his weak leadership style.”What happened here and the way the congress was manipulated and hijacked is an insult to us, as some school children were bussed in,” Shixwameni, spokesperson for the breakaway faction, told the delegates.”The (re-elected) president clearly stated that he wanted to choose his leadership according to his wishes (and not elect them).We take exception to that and cannot remain part of this congress anymore.We as members will go out and continue as CoD and wish you good luck,” Shixwameni exclaimed to loud applause from the approximately 100 people who then walked out of the hall with him.Among them were Vice President Schimming-Chase, Secretary General Gertze, Women’s League leader Dienda and veteran politician and CoD member Moses Katjiuongua. After the walkout, the group met at a nearby hotel briefly to discuss the way forward.”We will remain in the party, but will map out a way over the next two weeks,” Shixwameni told The Namibian.”The group left in the hall now does not have a quo
rum and thus all further decisions taken by them will be invalid,” Schimming-Chase said. ULENGA GROUP However, the group under Ulenga continued unperturbed and elected an unknown delegate from the Caprivi, Alfred Chilinda, as its new Vice President and an Ulenga confidante, Rosa Namises, as Secretary General.”The walkout is deplorable,” Ulenga told The Namibian, “but the delegates left in the hall are definitely the majority, about 150, and eight of 15 regions are represented”.The CoD has divided Namibia into 15 regions in terms of its party structure.”We took names and numbers down so we can prove that,” said Tsudao Gurirab, a staunch Ulenga supporter.Shixwameni and Gertze disputed that.”The entire delegates of Karas, Hardap, Oshikoto South and Kunene South walked out with us, as well as part of Caprivi, Khomas, Erongo, Oshikoto North and Otjozondjupa regions, we are clearly in the majority,” the two men said.The CoD party constitution does not define what percentage or number of delegates is required to form a quorum at a congress.”This is a weakness in the constitution and requires attention in future,” Tsudao Gurirab acknowledged. Ulenga pocketed 155 out of 309 votes during the second round of a gruelling 12-hour election process from late Saturday evening all through the night until mid-morning yesterday, while Ignatius Shixwameni received 141 votes and one ballot paper was spoilt.Voting only started at 04h00 in the early hours of yesterday with a third presidential candidate, Nora Schimming-Chase in the race, but she received the lowest votes in that first round, 49, and then withdrew in favour of Shixwameni, who had 87, and Ulenga with 114.Some 57 ballot papers were unmarked and thus regarded as spoilt.”This shows you that some delegates protested silently by not filling out the ballot papers,” CoD member Peter Kandjimi said.By 08h00 yesterday, the second round started and two hours later Ulenga supporters ran outside, shouting “Viva Ulenga” and dancing.”Now that I am re-elected we have to transform CoD and put in new structures,” Ulenga told reporters.At Friday’s opening ceremony, Ulenga had tried to distance himself from what he labelled the “so-called leadership crisis in CoD”.He blamed a lack of co-operation within the leadership as well as “tribalism and regionalism”.But the same criticism came from the rebel faction.”We were called ‘kwangaras’ (a derogatory term for non-Oshiwambo speakers) here this weekend.People said we as Kavangos should not mix with kwangaras and coloureds, as they would not win against the Owambos,” several enraged CoD members told The Namibian.They even provided the names of those who allegedly made such statements.”We now have a north-south divide in the party, but if Nora Schimming-Chase had not opted to stand for the presidency, the Khomas delegation of 45, which was the largest group, would not have been splitting the votes between her and Shixwameni.He could have won in the first round, since Ulenga only received 114 votes,” according to another CoD member.FUTURE IN BALANCE In Ulenga’s view, the congress was unnecessary and money down the drain.”We spent N$300 000 for the entire congress and we did not even discuss any important topics, we just came here to vote! I fear for the unity of our party after the group walked out,” he added.The three candidates had to give a motivational speech and then endure a 45-minute session each of questions from the floor – all behind closed doors.Although a new leadership was elected by a section of the delegates this weekend, three of the former leaders, Gertze, Dienda and Schimming-Chase, will keep their seats in Parliament for the time being.Ulenga could replace them, but has to provide valid reasons.Former CoD chairman Tsudao Gurirab was again nominated again as chairman.He initially refused, but as there were no other nominations, he finally accepted.Ben Kapi was elected as treasurer general.The congress was still electing the national executive committee late yesterday afternoon.