Former Grootfontein councillor Jack Tsanigab, who was accused of corruption in 2020, has made it onto the Swapo local authority election candidates’ list.
His return has been questioned by some party members, with some claiming he was added to the list without having gone through the election process.
The Grootfontein district list, seen by The Namibian, shows Tsanigab at position four on the list, giving him a chance to return to the council should Swapo get four seats in the November regional council and local authority elections.
“It is seriously questionable how Tsanigab made it to the list because he did not go through the process. We all just saw it there. This is the same person who has a pending case with Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) after the council accused him of corruption. It is also the same person who fled with the audit report investigating corrupt practices during his time as chairperson of the management committee,” says an insider.
Former Grootfontein district coordinator John Haimbodi has advised members to follow party rules and procedures and not deviate from them as this erodes good governance practices.
He says the constitution of the party is clear and it serves as a guiding tool to all party members.
In 2020 a group of residents petitioned the town council and demanded Tsanigab’s removal amid corruption allegations. He was subsequently removed.
Tsanigab was arrested by the ACC for alleged fraud related to a Build Together programme erf that was awarded to his relative using documents that the councillor allegedly forged. He was granted bail of N$4 000.
Efforts to get comment from Tsanigab by the time of going to print were unsuccessful.
Grootfontein district coordinator James Shipunda yesterday confirmed that the list they had been waiting for has finally arrived, thereby concluding the district’s nominations.
“We are now only waiting for the posters from the Electoral Commission of Namibia for the names to be published officially to the public,” he said.
This is despite claims from some party members that primaries were never held.
Political analyst Sakaria Johannes says it is no surprise that such a person is on the list because of Swapo’s reputation.
“Swapo as a party is known to have a culture of having people accused of corruption. But like they say ‘innocent till proven guilty’. But be it as it may, this will certainly damage the party’s image for fielding candidates who have a questionable reputation and the electorate may not vote for such people,” he says.
He advises the party to conduct its vetting process thoroughly to make sure all candidates are upstanding.
ACC director general Paulus Noa says he is not able to verify if Tsanigab’s case has been finalised or not as he was out of office and would only be able to do so once he returns.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
