Divisions rock Swapo boat at Otjiwarongo

CONTROVERSY has erupted around the nomination of Swapo Party candidates for upcoming local authority elections at Otjiwarongo.

Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange headed North yesterday to try and calm the situation after dissatisfied members questioned the legitimacy of about 38 names the party’s regional office forwarded to Windhoek last week. At the heart of the discontent is alleged underhand dealing by a “clique” of Swapo leaders at the town.They are alleged to have kept information away from local members and to have only told them about possible nominations at the eleventh hour.As a result – some Swapo members claim – those nominated did not have enough time to submit their full details for consideration to the head office in Windhoek.While Swapo had forwarded guidelines on nominations to the regional offices, this information was allegedly hidden from members, unhappy ruling party members told The Namibian.They said people who wished to stand for nomination to the seven local authority positions at Otjiwarongo had heard about the criteria only three to four hours before the deadline.Swapo Party guidelines require that all members who are nominated forward their membership details and information on regular contributions to the head office with their CVs.Some of the prospective candidates were at work when the guidelines were released and had no time to compile their CVs.”There is a certain clique that prepared themselves in advance and most documents of other candidates were incomplete.The current councillors manipulated the whole process,” said one source.Others claimed that some of the candidates were nominated by fake, or ghost, branches.The Swapo Regional Co-ordinator for Otjozondjupa, Otto Iipinge, who is also the Mayor of Otjiwarongo, claimed that he was neither aware of the dissatisfaction nor of Tjiriange’s visit to the town.”I am not aware of any concerns.This is new to me.I am also not aware of the Swapo delegation that is visiting,” he told The Namibian yesterday.Although Tjiriange could not be contacted, both the Swapo head office and the office from where he works as Minister Without Portfolio confirmed that he had left for Otjiwarongo yesterday.”As it stands now, outsiders have no chance to get on the Swapo list for the Otjiwarongo Municipality.Our hope is pinned on the investigation by the Windhoek team,” said one source.Tjiriange and his team are scheduled to meet some of the unhappy Swapo members and to interview the candidates who claim they were treated unfairly.At the heart of the discontent is alleged underhand dealing by a “clique” of Swapo leaders at the town.They are alleged to have kept information away from local members and to have only told them about possible nominations at the eleventh hour.As a result – some Swapo members claim – those nominated did not have enough time to submit their full details for consideration to the head office in Windhoek.While Swapo had forwarded guidelines on nominations to the regional offices, this information was allegedly hidden from members, unhappy ruling party members told The Namibian.They said people who wished to stand for nomination to the seven local authority positions at Otjiwarongo had heard about the criteria only three to four hours before the deadline.Swapo Party guidelines require that all members who are nominated forward their membership details and information on regular contributions to the head office with their CVs.Some of the prospective candidates were at work when the guidelines were released and had no time to compile their CVs.”There is a certain clique that prepared themselves in advance and most documents of other candidates were incomplete.The current councillors manipulated the whole process,” said one source.Others claimed that some of the candidates were nominated by fake, or ghost, branches.The Swapo Regional Co-ordinator for Otjozondjupa, Otto Iipinge, who is also the Mayor of Otjiwarongo, claimed that he was neither aware of the dissatisfaction nor of Tjiriange’s visit to the town.”I am not aware of any concerns.This is new to me.I am also not aware of the Swapo delegation that is visiting,” he told The Namibian yesterday.Although Tjiriange could not be contacted, both the Swapo head office and the office from where he works as Minister Without Portfolio confirmed that he had left for Otjiwarongo yesterday.”As it stands now, outsiders have no chance to get on the Swapo list for the Otjiwarongo Municipality.Our hope is pinned on the investigation by the Windhoek team,” said one source.Tjiriange and his team are scheduled to meet some of the unhappy Swapo members and to interview the candidates who claim they were treated unfairly.