• SHINOVENE IMMANUEL and TILENI MONGUDHI
PRESIDENT Hage Geingob and Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa are allegedly “drifting apart” as the ruling party nears its elective congress.
News about the fragile relationship between the president and his chief administrator comes at a time when Swapo factions are positioning their delegates for the upcoming congress.
The president's faction is allegedly concerned that there was an attempt by a party security operative to investigate the backgrounds of three senior politicians linked to top positions, and likely supported by Geingob.
That power struggle appears to be linked to questioning the legitimacy of the Swapo security official who is tasked with vetting potential delegates and candidates.
The vetting official, who was appointed by Geingob's current rivals, could be key in influencing the list of candidates and congress delegates.
The president's faction also blamed Shaningwa for frustrating Geingob by blocking some of his supporters during the party's restructuring process, which could influence the delegates to the congress.
Some Swapo supporters are urging the party to take a principled decision.
Swapo member Nico Kaiyamo, who has backed Geingob in the past, says he is not endorsing anyone.
“But as a matter of principle I believe the incumbent vice president [Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah] must be supported the same way it was done in 2004, 2012 and 2017,” he told The Namibian yesterday.
Geingob has aligned himself with a different team as that of 2017's congress, which included Shaningwa and Swapo vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Now, Geingob is allegedly not keen on supporting Nandi-Ndaitwah, and is drifting away from Shaningwa.
Sources familiar with Geingob's thinking say the president has concerns about Shaningwa's “leadership style and administrative capacity” to continue as secretary general after the December 2022 congress.
This has seemingly opened the door for Oshikoto regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu to replace Shaningwa as secretary general.
Amukwiyu lost at the 2017 congress to Shaningwa for the secretary general position, but the Oshikoto leader has since cosied up to Geingob.
Amukwiyu – a N$5,2 million Fishrot beneficiary and state witness in the fishing scandal – is now close to Geingob.
Three people close to the president say Geingob allegedly talks to Amukwiyu more than he communicates with Shaningwa.
Amukwiyu's return to Geingob has also enabled the return of businessman Vaino Nghipondoka to the president's background team of influencers.
That group could lean more towards minister of defence and veterans affairs Frans Kapofi and prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, their preferred candidate to succeed Geingob.
Shaningwa did not respond to questions sent to her yesterday via WhatsApp, despite reading the message.
Swapo spokesperson Hilma Nicanor declined to comment on the alleged stand-off between Geingob and Shaningwa, saying she was attending a funeral.
“Call other leaders for comment,” she said.
Presidential spokesperson Afredo Hengari yesterday confirmed receiving detailed questions from The Namibian.
He said the president was delivering a statement at yesterday's Swapo youth league conference.
ON THE ROCKS
Publicly, Geingob, Shaningwa and Nandi-Ndaitwah have been putting up a unified front, but sources say things are not as rosy as they seem.
The relationship between Geingob and Nandi-Ndaitwah has not been cordial over the years.
Shaningwa's allegiance to Nandi-Ndaitwah and her alleged defiance are some of the reasons for the relationship with Geingob souring, the sources say.
Party insiders say things recently got worse.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, in a meeting between the party's top-three leaders, sought to get Geingob's endorsement and for the president to push that both the party presidency and vice presidency should go uncontested at congress, they say.
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