Mulongeni says Swapo faces dark times ahead

Political commentator Ben Mulongeni has cast fear on Swapo, saying the party faces dark times ahead following the death of founding president Sam Nujoma.

In his tribute to the founding president yesterday, Mulongeni told The Namibian Nujoma was a man of vision and action.

He described Nujoma as a giant, a mentor and a dedicated leader who fought for Namibians and led by example with his revolutionary ideas.

The founding president died at a Windhoek hospital on 8 February.

Mulongeni extended his condolences to the family and the nation, urging Namibians to emulate the founding president’s values.

However, he said fears Swapo will not be the same without Nujoma’s stewardship and leadership, which has kept many from going out of line.

“I am seriously concerned about the party; Nujoma was the glue.

He commanded authority which everybody was afraid of. On Sunday I heard someone paying tribute saying they were sometimes scared of doing funny things because they do not want to upset the old man,” he said.

He said the argument that everyone is replaceable is not true, stating that Namibia will never be able to replace the founding father; he was the first president of the country and he ruled with conviction and action for many years.

The experience of countries like Kenya, Libya, and South Africa, which faced instability after the deaths of their first presidents, suggests Namibia will face challenges in its own transition.

“As per history, once a country loses its first president, it is so hard to replace such a person. I remember Ghana when they lost Kwame Nkrumah, it took them some years to recover. Libya lost Muammer Gaddafi and they are still struggling.”

Mulongeni said for the first time, Swapo will be without the founding father who has been the voice of authority.

He said just recently, Swapo was defeated in the 2024 elections after winning 51 seats in the National Assembly, a huge loss compared to the 2019 elections, and that Martin Lukato of the National Development Party was the only winner.

“If Nujoma was there, the party would have grown. He knows how to attract people to the party. . . They had some sort of fear not to upset the old man,” he said.

Mulongeni said the late Hage Geingob used to say he had the backing of the founding father, adding that this was a way to create fear in others due to Nujoma’s status in the party.

With the death of Nujoma, Swapo is in danger, as nobody has the capabilities to attract people back to the party, he said.

Mulongeni fears with the death of the founding president, those who used to be scared of Nujoma have no one to be scared of and divisions could take centre stage.

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah says there is a real possibility of fallouts within Swapo.

“Sam Nujoma was the unifying figure who kept the party together despite internal differences,” he says.

Without him, he says, divisions, especially among competing factions, could grow stronger.

He believes Nujoma’s influence attracted many to the party, and without his presence, some members may start questioning their loyalty or looking for new political homes.

Meanwhile, Former Plan Combatants Association (FPCA) secretary for information and mobilisation Charles Mubita says the late founding president was a selfless leader.

“It is without doubt that the FPCA, Swapo and people of Namibia have lost a selfless humble leader.”

He says Nujoma was a revolutionary icon and a visionary role model.

According to Mubita, Nujoma was steeled in the crucible of the Namibian liberation struggle and dedicated his life throughout the struggle and after independence to serving Namibia and its people.

During dark hours, Mubita says, Nujoma provided people with visionary leadership, a safe sanctuary for exiled Namibian refugees, hope, inspiration and impeccable leadership.

He says Nujoma’s selfless sacrifice inspired freedom-loving Namibians to fight for justice, freedom and human progress.

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