Omaheke Swapo finally concludes regional poll

KEJAMUINA Mungendje is the newly elected Swapo Party Omaheke regional coordinator.

The party’s regional conference was held in Gobabis over the weekend, where Mungendje clinched 30 votes against his opponent, Job Muniaro, who only managed 19 votes. Muniaro has been acting in the position since the departure of Fustus Uitele, who was been elected to Parliament.A total of 49 Swapo card-carrying members took part in the elections. Uitele was elected to the information and mobilisation portfolio, while Philipus Katamelo was elected treasurer.Some conference participants and observers said Mungendje’s win signifies victory for the Hage Geingob camp. Other conference participants linked to Geingob include Uitele, who was overheard several times during the conference talking on his cellphone to someone he referred to as ‘VP’, which is believed to be Geingob, who is the vice president (VP) of the the party.Nevertheless, even before Mungendje was announced the victorious candidate sometime after 21h00 on Saturday evening, the large crowd rallying behind him had already declared him the winner at 10h00 that morning through song, before the conference started. Mungendje was heard introducing his wife to participants as ‘the first lady’ just before the conference started.’Mungendje will win this thing. Viva Mungendje,’ participants sang and shouted during the conference process. Chairperson of the national leaders assigned to the region, Albert Kawana, cautioned the media ‘not to report negatively on the conference and its process or otherwise he will take them to court’. ‘I’m the secretary for legal affairs. Don’t go write your poison or I will see you in the High Court. You have observed and have seen that the process was transparent and democratic. That is the way we do things in Swapo,’ he threatened.Other leaders assigned to the region and who were present included MPs Billy Mwanyengange and Evelyne Nawases-Taeyele, Home Affairs Minister, Rosalia Nghidinwa, and her special advisor, Ngarikutuke Tjiriange and governor of the Omaheke Region, Laura Mcleod-Katjirua. Absent were Fisheries Minister Bernard Essau, Local Government Minister Jerry Ekandjo and Omalaeti boss John Walenga.Six members from various Omaheke districts were disqualified from taking part in the election because their membership cards were apparently only issued after the party’s regional office had issued the circular. ‘The circular was issued on June 11th, stating that all cards issued and stamped after this date would not count for a vote at the conference. Unfortunately these cards were issued and stamped after this date, hence their disqualification from taking part in the election process,’ a source told The Namibian.Omaheke has a total of seven districts namely Gobabis, Kalahari, Aminuis, Otjinene, Otjombinde, Epukiro and Steinhausen. The 10 delegates from the region who were elected at the conference to attend the party’s national congress in December include Phillipus Katamelo, Festus Uitele, Bianca Van Wyk, Maria Hoeses, Gideon Kavari, Eben Handura, Frieda Shimakeleni, Liberius Kalili, Abia Kamatjipose and Immanuel Kutonderumbi.The 43-year-old Mungendje said during his five-year term he will ensure the party’s manifesto is implemented in the region, especially at grassroots level. ‘As the elected coordinator, I will continue to advocate for unity amongst Swapo party members, and unity amongst all Omaheke residents. As the ruling party, the influence of the elected co-ordinator is also to have all Omaheke residents united,’ he said. The Omaheke regional conference was cancelled earlier this month due to irregularities. Muniaro, who was the acting regional coordinator at the time, claimed that many of the delegates who were elected at the district level and who wanted to attend the conference were not card-carrying Swapo members.