Swapo Party Women’s Council (SPWC) secretary Fransina Kahungu is set to return for another five-year term after being nominated unopposed to lead the women’s wing at its upcoming ninth congress.
The congress is scheduled for 9 to 11 December 2027 at Katima Mulilo, where delegates are expected to formally vote on the leadership nominations.
The announcement was made yesterday by SPWC assistant secretary for research, information and programmes Ruthy Masake during a media briefing in Windhoek.
Kahungu has led the women’s council since 2022 and was nominated at the SPWC extraordinary central committee meeting at Kamanjab on 19 September.
She was nominated alongside Maria Mukano-Ntusi, who is set to serve as her deputy.
Masake said the nomination process was conducted in line with the rules, procedures and constitutional provisions governing the elections.
She said the nominations reflected confidence in the two leaders and called on women to maintain unity and discipline as the party heads towards its congress.
She said the women’s council was built around service, responsibility, consultation and commitment to the organisation.
Masake also urged members to manage disagreements through dialogue and respect for the party’s structures and principles.
“The message is clear, women must set the tone as we approach the ninth congress. We must set the tone for peace, unity, respect and constructive engagement,” she said.
She called on branches, sections and members to strengthen the work of the women’s council, saying leadership should not be about occupying positions but serving communities and building bridges.
Reflecting on her tenure, Kahungu highlights training programmes aimed at strengthening women’s leadership and their ability to coordinate with government institutions, constituencies and local authorities.
She says the council had also supported initiatives focused on job creation and community projects, with regional structures identifying projects that received assistance from the national office.
Kahungu says the women’s council played a major role in mobilising voters for Namibia’s first woman president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and contributed to the development of the Swapo manifesto.
She says the council had also focused on grooming young leaders who could serve both within the party and the government.
Among the initiatives was a training programme through which about 66 people were trained, while projects across all 14 regions received support from the national office.
