The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) is accusing a group of Swapo members of disrupting a community handover ceremony of high-mast solar lights at Swakopmund’s DRC settlement on Thursday.
The party claims the group turned a non-political event into a partisan gathering.
The handover involved Swakop Uranium Foundation donating two high-mast solar lights to the Wagdaar community, following a request from the Swakopmund Municipal Council.
IPC Erongo regional chairperson Aloisius Kangulu issued a statement condemning the incident.
“This was intended to be a neutral, community-centred development activity aimed at improving safety and service delivery for residents. Regrettably, the event was disrupted and transformed into a political gathering, following the unexpected arrival of members of the Swapo Party,” he says.
Kangulu says the intrusion undermined the dignity of the programme and left residents “flabbergasted, uncomfortable, and deeply concerned”.
He says the situation put the foundation and its employees, who come from diverse political backgrounds, in an unfair position.
“As the IPC, we underscore that the Local Authorities Act requires elected officials and political office-bearers to respect the neutrality of public events, especially those organised for the benefit of all residents,” he says.
Kangulu further describes the event as “inappropriate and unacceptable”.
He urges all political parties, companies, and local authority representatives to uphold transparency, fairness, and respect for community spaces, cautioning that development initiatives must remain free of political hijacking.
He says donors, companies and community partners should not be used, directly or indirectly, to advance partisan interests, and that employees and community leaders must be able to participate without fear of political association.
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