Pohamba consults with opposition parties

PRESIDENT Pohamba is conducting his annual consultations with opposition parties, churches and civil society, a tradition he started soon after taking over the presidency two years ago.

After meeting the CoD, UDF and Nudo parties, it was the turn of the Republican Party (RP) at State House last Wednesday. Pohamba greeted RP chairperson Clara Gowases and party President Henk Mudge at the start of the two-hour-long talks.Topics covered were education, land reform, agriculture, the fight against corruption, fisheries and mining.”We had a very constructive meeting and spoke in depth,” Henk Mudge told this newspaper afterwards.A burning issue brought up during the meeting at State House was intimidation experienced by RP members and sympathisers at Nkurenkuru, where local elections will be held on March 23.”People there are threatened by Swapo members that they might lose their jobs when voting for RP and intimidated, they are afraid to go home to their houses at night,” Mudge said.He held a rally there last weekend.”President Pohamba was rather disturbed to hear about this as my chairperson, Ms Gowases, gave him an overview of what is going on up there with the election campaign,” Mudge added.Pohamba greeted RP chairperson Clara Gowases and party President Henk Mudge at the start of the two-hour-long talks.Topics covered were education, land reform, agriculture, the fight against corruption, fisheries and mining.”We had a very constructive meeting and spoke in depth,” Henk Mudge told this newspaper afterwards.A burning issue brought up during the meeting at State House was intimidation experienced by RP members and sympathisers at Nkurenkuru, where local elections will be held on March 23.”People there are threatened by Swapo members that they might lose their jobs when voting for RP and intimidated, they are afraid to go home to their houses at night,” Mudge said.He held a rally there last weekend.”President Pohamba was rather disturbed to hear about this as my chairperson, Ms Gowases, gave him an overview of what is going on up there with the election campaign,” Mudge added.