Opposition parties are mosquitoes, says Kawana

MINISTER of Justice Albert Kawana says opposition parties are like “mosquitoes and frogs that appear only when it rains and disappear immediately the rainy season ends”.

Launching the Swapo Party’s regional and local authority elections campaign for the Omusati region at Ruacana on Saturday, Kawana said it is a waste of time to vote for opposition parties which are only visible during elections. Namibians will go to the polls on 27 November to elect councillors for their constituencies and local authorities and Kawana believes Swapo will win all the seats at stake in the Omusati region.

He said Omusati gave Swapo the highest regional vote of 98% during the Presidential and National Assembly elections last year and called on party members to support those contesting the elections.

“You are not going to elect them individually, but you are going to vote for them in the letter and spirit of the Swapo Party. They are going to implement the manifesto of the Swapo Party once you elect them on 27 November,” Kawana, who is the chairperson of the Swapo national leaders assigned to the Omusati region, said.

He reminded the aspiring councillors that it is expected of them to serve all Namibians irrespective of their tribe, race or gender.

He also urged them to shun corruption, self-enrichment and not to tarnish the name of the party.

“We will recall you if you get involved in corrupt practices,” he warned.

The governor of Omusati Region, Erginus Endjala, stressed that the region remains a Swapo Party stronghold.

Endjala, who is also Swapo’s regional coordinator for Omusati, said the party’s candidates in eight of the region’s constituencies and two towns have already been elected unopposed.

These constituencies are Outapi, Elim, Otamanzi, Anamulenge, Okahao, Tsandi, Onesi and Oshikuku, and the two towns Outapi and Okahao.

The regional councillors are Modestus Amutse (Oshikuku); Werner Kalipi (Anamulenge); Fillemon Shikwambi (Outapi); Junias Amunkete (Tsandi); Titus Kanyele (Onesi); Leonard Shikulo (Okahao); Johannes Iiyambo (Otamanzi) and Gerhard Shiimi (Elim).

The Swapo candidates who will contest the Regional Council Election are Laurentius Iipinge (Okalongo); Andreas Shintama (Ruacana); Willem Iiyambo (Ogongo) and John Elisa (Etayi).

Bernardinus Shekutamba (Etayi); Tataati Shileka (Outapi); Elizabeth Mwanyangapo (Okalongo) and Leonard Mutota (Tsandi) are the four incumbent Omusati regional councillors who have decided to retire.

Serving regional councillors defeated during the party’s primaries held in the region recently are Isai Kapenambili (Okahao); Abast Ipinge (Ruacana) and Fidelis Sheyapo (Anamulenge).

The Omusati region will not have women regional councillors if all Swapo Party candidates are elected.

– Nampa

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