Nudo leadership shake-up as Muinjangue, Kauandenge step aside amid party infighting and decline

National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) president Esther Muinjangue yesterday confirmed that she has notified the party of her intention to resign as party leader.

Muinjangue said this just after Joseph Kauandenge on Wednesday announced that he has resigned from the secretary general position.

When approached for comment on Kauandenge’s resignation, Muinjangue said she was not in the best position to offer comment.

“I have already indicated my resignation in March,” she said.

Both Kauandenge and Muinjangue have, however, indicated that they will remain party members.

Nudo deputy secretary general Joseph Uapingene yesterday said he was not aware of Muinjangue’s notice of resignation.

“I remember in one of our leadership meetings about two months ago she said she wanted to step down, but we discussed and agreed it was not the right time.

“We will have a meeting on Saturday where we will discuss this and Kauandenge’s resignation, and only then can the secretary general position be handed over to me,” he said.

Nudo’s parliamentary representative, Vetaruhe Kandorozu, yesterday referred questions to Uapingene.

Meanwhile, Kauandenge says he stepped down to give someone else in the party a chance to lead it, adding that Nudo is in dire need of a revamp.

“It’s the internal dynamics and infighting that has and will continue to be a problem. I have tried my level best as secretary general for the past five years to quell these internal squabbles and infighting, but I could not manage it.

“So I thought perhaps it’s time for me to make way for someone else who may be better or have better luck to do so,” he told Desert FM earlier this week.

Leading up to the 2024 presidential and National Assembly elections, Nudo was embroiled in internal power struggles, with slate politics dividing the party between the faction led by Muinjangue and a breakaway group headed by Namibia Football Association secretary general Barry Rukoro, who also claimed the presidency.

The party’s support declined, allegedly due to factionalism, dropping from two seats in the parliament to just one after securing only 0.98% of the total votes cast.

Kauandenge said he will not recognise Rukoro as a member of Nudo.

“As far as I am concerned, Barry Rukoro is still not a member of Nudo. He is now a gazetted member of Swanu. How can you be president of Nudo while you are gazetted on a Swanu parliamentary list as number two? It doesn’t make any sense. I will leave the secretary general position and still not recognise him,” he said.

Rukoro yesterday accused both Muinjangue and Kauandenge of ditching the party after it performed poorly in last year’s elections.

“As a result of the division, Kauandenge and Muinjangue are no longer in parliament, hence their decision to resign from the party. They are done using our votes, and I am sure they are looking for greener pastures somewhere else,” he said.

Rukoro said Kauandenge’s claim that he will remain a party member is purely to manage the negative impact of his departure so he can determine how many of his former supporters will join his new project.

“These people have done so much damage to the party that they have no choice but to run. The only thing we are left with is to pick up the pieces, rebuild the party and move on,” he said.