Fashion takes centre stage at Swapo congress

SWAPO members are known for their vivid party red-blue-and-green attire and the opening of the party’s fifth congress yesterday did not fail to deliver.

The energy that flowed at the Safari Hotel was nothing short of infectious; a spirit of camaraderie, laughter and dance were the order of the day. And then came the attire. In full technicolour.They say a picture tells a thousand words and yesterday, that picture was perhaps the person of Kilus Nguvauva, deputy minister of fisheries and marine resources, who showed up in a Swapo-inspired graduation gown, complete with mortar board (graduation hat) to match. Does Oga Nguvauva want to graduate from politics? Was this the Ovambanderu chief’s way of saying he wants to graduate from a mere deputy minister to a full-blown minister? Such information could not be obtained from Nguvauva though. When complemented on his gown, he only flashed a smile.Vice-presidential candidates and their campaigns have been making all the headlines in the media for the past few weeks and it could be that Nguvauva wanted in on the limelight – and boy, was it his ticket.Many things have been said about the ‘mighty’ Swapo Party and its leaders, but words were in short supply at the sight of that graduation gown. Equally unorthodoxly attired was Ohangwena Governor Usko Nghaamwa, who also donned party colours, but in a suit form – it wasn’t an easy-on-the-eye type of suit, but Nguvauva’s graduation gown still takes the cake.Sisa Namandje in full lawyerly glory rocked a grey suit in all the right ways. Even the Swapo Party Youth League’s Job Amupanda got it right in a charcoal suit. Father of the Nation Sam Nujoma upon taking to the podium received the biggest ovation, a sign that tate ‘Shafiishuna’ remains very much celebrated.Before taking to the podium though, party vice president Hage Geingob was quick to tell Nujoma: ‘Comrade Founding Father, we are not having congress on the outskirts, we are having it at a four-star hotel which is located centrally.’ Needless to say, Geingob’s statement, like many others, remains a mystery in many regards.Delegates, including President Hifikepunye Pohamba, never wavered from preaching the message of ‘unity, solidarity, peace and democracy’. Business personalities at the congress included Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun, who looked sophisticated in a pantsuit. The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation’s Audrin Mathe, a member of the party’s Think Tank, and the Polytechnic’s Tjama Tjivikua were spotted with their fists high in the sky during the singing of the Swapo party anthem. And former TransNamib boss Titus Haimbili in a collarless shirt under his grey suit? A bit confusing to say the least.Policies to be deliberated and scrutinised during the congress will deal with land distribution, economic emancipation, quality education and health, as well as many other social challenges facing the Namibian nation.Health Minister Richard Kamwi strutted his impeccable dancing skills, showing just how ‘low he could go’.The Grinch might have stolen Christmas, and Kazenambo Kazenambo might have stolen the Swapo policy conference in September when he shed tears during the singing of the national anthem, but in Nguvauva’s graduation gown, there’s no end to telling that story. It will be passed down from generation to generation.