Leaving the DTA in a huff

MARIA da Conceicao Lourence has broken her 25-year relationship with the DTA of Namibia.

Lourence, who served as Secretary for the Women’s League between 1998 and last year, quit on Tuesday, citing alleged backstabbing and power struggles within the party as the main reason. In a letter to the party’s Chairman Johan de Waal and Secretary General McHenry Venaani, Lourence claimed that the DTA was in political turmoil and lacked vision.She was ousted as the leader of the Women’s League last year when a group led by Vicky Kaura organised a congress and elected a new Secretary.De Waal acknowledged the letter and said Lourence had resigned because she could not make the party’s list of candidates for the Local Authority elections.”It is the way politics work.We could not fit everyone on the list and she decided to go,” De Waal said.Lourence was a member of the party’s secretariat but claimed she had not received a salary since last October because of financial difficulties faced by the DTA.De Waal said the party had an agreement with Lourence on her salary and would meet its obligations at the end of this month.In a letter to the party’s Chairman Johan de Waal and Secretary General McHenry Venaani, Lourence claimed that the DTA was in political turmoil and lacked vision.She was ousted as the leader of the Women’s League last year when a group led by Vicky Kaura organised a congress and elected a new Secretary.De Waal acknowledged the letter and said Lourence had resigned because she could not make the party’s list of candidates for the Local Authority elections.”It is the way politics work.We could not fit everyone on the list and she decided to go,” De Waal said.Lourence was a member of the party’s secretariat but claimed she had not received a salary since last October because of financial difficulties faced by the DTA.De Waal said the party had an agreement with Lourence on her salary and would meet its obligations at the end of this month.