Pohamba appeals for Swapo unity after ‘dirty campaigns’

SWAPO Vice President and presidential candidate Hifikepunye Pohamba has called on party members to put behind them the “dirty tricks” used in campaigning prior to his election last weekend.

Pohamba said smear campaigns could prove detrimental to the party in the upcoming national elections in November. Addressing a media conference in a packed hall at the National Assembly, Pohamba admitted that the membership had been divided in the run-up to last weekend’s extraordinary congress.He appealed to Swapo followers to drop intimidation, threats of job losses and other dirty tricks that had spilled over into this week.”Swapo is a mature party.We can’t do that.That [division] has never been the intention of the party’s leadership,” Pohamba said when asked to comment on the continued harassment of people who supported sacked Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya.Pohamba, who was flanked by Hamutenya and Nahas Angula, who had also been in the running, said Swapo had entered uncharted waters and a new chapter.”We are talking about what is to come, the presidential and national elections.We don’t want to talk about what happened in the campaign,” he said.The Swapo Vice President, who is also Minister of Lands, said such was the mood in the party that even people who had openly supported Angula and Hamutenya, had flocked to his house after he had won and he had hugged them.”We came out stronger and [more] united than before,” was his view of the impact that the congress had on the party.He was applauded by the around 100 party members, including ministers and senior leaders, who attended the briefing.Pohamba refused to be drawn into commenting on whether he would include Hamutenya and former Prime Minister Hage Geingob in his new Cabinet, if elected President.He said Swapo had procedures including the fact that someone needed to make it into the National Assembly before being considered for a ministerial position.”We have what we call a boiling pot.Some come out of it and some don’t.You will have a list after that and you consider the party before you make appointments,” he said about the party’s list for the National Assembly.Angula denied that he had told his supporters to vote for Pohamba after he fell out of the race.Some congress delegates alleged that they were threatened and warned not to vote for Hamutenya.Hamutenya refused to comment on his future.”You have already heard from Mr Pohamba about the several steps to be covered before we talk about whether I will be in the next Cabinet.You should consult Mr Pohamba on the 21st of March 2005,” he said.Addressing a media conference in a packed hall at the National Assembly, Pohamba admitted that the membership had been divided in the run-up to last weekend’s extraordinary congress.He appealed to Swapo followers to drop intimidation, threats of job losses and other dirty tricks that had spilled over into this week.”Swapo is a mature party.We can’t do that.That [division] has never been the intention of the party’s leadership,” Pohamba said when asked to comment on the continued harassment of people who supported sacked Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya.Pohamba, who was flanked by Hamutenya and Nahas Angula, who had also been in the running, said Swapo had entered uncharted waters and a new chapter.”We are talking about what is to come, the presidential and national elections.We don’t want to talk about what happened in the campaign,” he said.The Swapo Vice President, who is also Minister of Lands, said such was the mood in the party that even people who had openly supported Angula and Hamutenya, had flocked to his house after he had won and he had hugged them.”We came out stronger and [more] united than before,” was his view of the impact that the congress had on the party.He was applauded by the around 100 party members, including ministers and senior leaders, who attended the briefing.Pohamba refused to be drawn into commenting on whether he would include Hamutenya and former Prime Minister Hage Geingob in his new Cabinet, if elected President.He said Swapo had procedures including the fact that someone needed to make it into the National Assembly before being considered for a ministerial position.”We have what we call a boiling pot.Some come out of it and some don’t.You will have a list after that and you consider the party before you make appointments,” he said about the party’s list for the National Assembly.Angula denied that he had told his supporters to vote for Pohamba after he fell out of the race.Some congress delegates alleged that they were threatened and warned not to vote for Hamutenya.Hamutenya refused to comment on his future.”You have already heard from Mr Pohamba about the several steps to be covered before we talk about whether I will be in the next Cabinet.You should consult Mr Pohamba on the 21st of March 2005,” he said.