MORE than 2 000 Swapo supporters converged on the town’s Omulunga Stadium yesterday afternoon to witness one of the ruling party’s last major gatherings before the town’s Regional Council by-election on Thursday.
The rally, which filled the stands to capacity, featured President Sam Nujoma as the main speaker. Nujoma – like many in the crowd decked out in Swapo Party colours – devoted most of his speech to listing the achievements he said his party had notched up over its 14 years in power.He appeared to spark the most enthusiastic applause from the crowd, though, when he turned his attention to opposition candidates against Swapo in this week’s by-election.The poll has been called following the resignation in November of former Grootfontein Regional Councillor and Otjozondjupa Region Governor Grace Uushona.Uushona, who was the Swapo incumbent, resigned after her appointment as Namibia’s Ambassador to Cuba.The DTA and Congress of Democrats, formerly staple targets at Swapo election meetings, got only passing mentions in Nujoma’s speech yesterday, as he concentrated his fire on the Swapo candidates standing against a former DTA affiliate, the Republican Party, which broke away from the DTA last year.Nujoma warned the RP: “We know you oppressed us in the past”.The RP was doing the same at present, through some farmers who threw farmworkers off their land and dumped them next to national roads, he added, urging the crowd: “Go to your Government” and vowing: “We will take up the challenge”.The President said that since Independence his Government had given priority to issues such as economic development, education and training, agricultural production, youth development and employment creation, health care, affordable housing and infrastructure development and claimed significant progress in all these areas.In contrast, he asserted, previous colonial regimes – including “the [Dirk] Mudge Republican Party” – had denied Namibia’s people education.A rapturous ovation greeted the leader when he attacked all the opposition parties in one go.None of them had any programmes that would benefit the Namibian people, he charged.They only talked “big mouth” but had nothing to offer.Swapo was Namibia’s only broad-based political party, with support drawn from all corners of the country, the President said, adding that it remained committed to improving the welfare of all Namibians.Nujoma – like many in the crowd decked out in Swapo Party colours – devoted most of his speech to listing the achievements he said his party had notched up over its 14 years in power. He appeared to spark the most enthusiastic applause from the crowd, though, when he turned his attention to opposition candidates against Swapo in this week’s by-election. The poll has been called following the resignation in November of former Grootfontein Regional Councillor and Otjozondjupa Region Governor Grace Uushona. Uushona, who was the Swapo incumbent, resigned after her appointment as Namibia’s Ambassador to Cuba. The DTA and Congress of Democrats, formerly staple targets at Swapo election meetings, got only passing mentions in Nujoma’s speech yesterday, as he concentrated his fire on the Swapo candidates standing against a former DTA affiliate, the Republican Party, which broke away from the DTA last year. Nujoma warned the RP: “We know you oppressed us in the past”. The RP was doing the same at present, through some farmers who threw farmworkers off their land and dumped them next to national roads, he added, urging the crowd: “Go to your Government” and vowing: “We will take up the challenge”. The President said that since Independence his Government had given priority to issues such as economic development, education and training, agricultural production, youth development and employment creation, health care, affordable housing and infrastructure development and claimed significant progress in all these areas. In contrast, he asserted, previous colonial regimes – including “the [Dirk] Mudge Republican Party” – had denied Namibia’s people education. A rapturous ovation greeted the leader when he attacked all the opposition parties in one go. None of them had any programmes that would benefit the Namibian people, he charged. They only talked “big mouth” but had nothing to offer. Swapo was Namibia’s only broad-based political party, with support drawn from all corners of the country, the President said, adding that it remained committed to improving the welfare of all Namibians.
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