Hidipo quits Swapo

VETERAN Swapo member and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Hidipo Hamutenya, has resigned from the ruling party and Parliament, saying the party has lost its vision and focus.

Hamutenya told a packed hall at a Windhoek hotel that Swapo had stagnated and new ideas and debates were being stifled, forcing him to move on after being part of the party for 45 years. “It is my sincere feeling that we, as an organisation and as a country, have lost a sense of purpose and direction which, for decades, have held us together under the most trying of circumstances.The nation is crying out for delivery of the promises made at Independence and upon which we were elected,” he said.’VISION GONE’ Hamutenya said the dominant features in Namibia were poverty, inequality, the sorry state of education, declining health services and unemployment.”I feel that I can no longer be part of a team that has lost its vision and focus,” he said to a ululating crowd of around 200.Those present yesterday included the likes of former National Council Chairman Kandy Nehova, Ambassador Shapua Kaukungwa, former head of Kalahari Holdings Nghiningiluandubo Kashume, former NUNW Secretary General Peter Naholo and former CEO of Northern Electricity Distribution company (Nored) Martin Heita, who have all indicated that they are behind Hamutenya.Hamutenya, flanked by former Deputy Minister of Prisons Michaela Huebschle, was cagey about his links to the new Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) party announced by former Trade Minister Jesaya Nyamu.He said he had not joined the party, but announced that it would reveal its aims, objectives and strategies on November 17 at a mass rally.’MY CRIME’ Hamutenya was fired as Foreign Affairs Minister in 2004, when he decided to contest for the country’s presidency, against then President Sam Nujoma’s chosen candidate Hifikepunye Pohamba, who is the current President, and Prime Minister Nahas Angula.”I committed the crime of trying to be a President.I also suspect that others are going to follow my example and resign,” Hamutenya said.Stating that he regarded himself as a “true founding father of Namibia”, Hamutenya said he was resigning with a heavy heart.”Political life is not always smooth but Namibian society has the scope to accommodate my contributions to the development of the country,” he said, indicating that he was not leaving active politics.The Namibian has it on good authority that Hamutenya and a host of others handed in their resignations on Wednesday afternoon.Yesterday he said that he suspected there were some others who would follow his example.Without naming Nujoma, Hamutenya blamed Swapo’s leadership for the party’s stagnation.LINGERING QUESTIONS When asked why he was leaving when Nujoma had announced that he was also getting out of active politics, Hamutenya responded: “Has he done so? There are lingering questions but it’s not only that.In the structures of clones and sycophants, you will still not make progress.You will still see stagnation of ideas and progress.”He said Swapo’s reaction to his resignation would no longer matter, as he had made up his mind and it had been accepted by his wife and close friends.Hamutenya said Namibians would soon know what he was going to do – “it will be something constructive and useful for Namibia”.”The people are sick and tired of this situation and are looking for alternatives.You find yourself in a blocked situation, ideas are suppressed and progress is impossible, combined with the arrogance of power, you then realise you are knocking your head against a wall.When that happens, then you realise it is the time to move on,” Hamutenya said.”It is my sincere feeling that we, as an organisation and as a country, have lost a sense of purpose and direction which, for decades, have held us together under the most trying of circumstances.The nation is crying out for delivery of the promises made at Independence and upon which we were elected,” he said.’VISION GONE’ Hamutenya said the dominant features in Namibia were poverty, inequality, the sorry state of education, declining health services and unemployment.”I feel that I can no longer be part of a team that has lost its vision and focus,” he said to a ululating crowd of around 200.Those present yesterday included the likes of former National Council Chairman Kandy Nehova, Ambassador Shapua Kaukungwa, former head of Kalahari Holdings Nghiningiluandubo Kashume, former NUNW Secretary General Peter Naholo and former CEO of Northern Electricity Distribution company (Nored) Martin Heita, who have all indicated that they are behind Hamutenya.Hamutenya, flanked by former Deputy Minister of Prisons Michaela Huebschle, was cagey about his links to the new Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) party announced by former Trade Minister Jesaya Nyamu. He said he had not joined the party, but announced that it would reveal its aims, objectives and strategies on November 17 at a mass rally.’MY CRIME’ Hamutenya was fired as Foreign Affairs Minister in 2004, when he decided to contest for the country’s presidency, against then President Sam Nujoma’s chosen candidate Hifikepunye Pohamba, who is the current President, and Prime Minister Nahas Angula.”I committed the crime of trying to be a President.I also suspect that others are going to follow my example and resign,” Hamutenya said.Stating that he regarded himself as a “true founding father of Namibia”, Hamutenya said he was resigning with a heavy heart.”Political life is not always smooth but Namibian society has the scope to accommodate my contributions to the development of the country,” he said, indicating that he was not leaving active politics.The Namibian has it on good authority that Hamutenya and a host of others handed in their resignations on Wednesday afternoon.Yesterday he said that he suspected there were some others who would follow his example.Without naming Nujoma, Hamutenya blamed Swapo’s leadership for the party’s stagnation.LINGERING QUESTIONS When asked why he was leaving when Nujoma had announced that he was also getting out of active politics, Hamutenya responded: “Has he done so? There are lingering questions but it’s not only that.In the structures of clones and sycophants, you will still not make progress.You will still see stagnation of ideas and progress.”He said Swapo’s reaction to his resignation would no longer matter, as he had made up his mind and it had been accepted by his wife and close friends.Hamutenya said Namibians would soon know what he was going to do – “it will be something constructive and useful for Namibia”.”The people are sick and tired of this situation and are looking for alternatives.You find yourself in a blocked situation, ideas are suppressed and progress is impossible, combined with the arrogance of power, you then realise you are knocking your head against a wall.When that happens, then you realise it is the time to move on,” Hamutenya said.