Parties jostle for ‘pole position’

WITH the regional and local authority elections just around the corner, political parties are racing to the polls – or rather to the ‘poles’.

Like in most towns in Namibia, parties are erecting their campaign posters on lampposts in Swakopmund. In the process, they break the rules.Before parties can put up their posters, they first have to apply for permission from the Erongo Regional Electricity Distributor (Erongo RED), seeing that the lampposts are electricity infrastructure. If Erongo RED gives permission, parties have to pay a deposit of N$2 000, which they only get back once they have removed all their posters within one month after the elections. Once this deposit is paid, the parties are provided with a list of conditions, which includes that only one party is allowed to put a maximum of two posters (facing opposite directions) on a pole. Another condition is that parties ‘should not remove any other party’s poster or erect one on the same pole’.The Namibian noticed a host of poles in Swakopmund where these conditions are not adhered to, and where parties are in fact using dirty tricks to have dominion over the poles.In most cases there are two different parties’s posters on the same pole, while in many other cases there are up to three parties’ posters on a single pole. In some other cases, there are four posters from two parties on a single pole, but they do not face opposite directions.Allegations of ‘disrespect between parties’; ‘disregard for the law’; and ‘cheating’ are being made behind one another’s backs.’We paid, and put our posters up first according to the conditions set by Erongo RED. Now someone else comes and puts their posters up with ours and they have not even paid!’ was a remark from one party’s member.

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