Political temperature hits boiling point at Oshakati

OSHAKATI was extremely hot on Saturday.

The weather bureau had forecast a maximum temperature of 37 degrees Celsius for this part of Namibia, but it did not take into account the political temperature that was to reach fever pitch when rival parties held rallies within a five-kilometre radius. If it seemed that these elections were going to pass like a damp squib, Oshakati, the capital of the Oshana Region, has disproved that.From early morning a sense that something was about to happen hung in the air.VIP Police and soldiers stood on street corners absorbing the rays of the harsh northern sun.However, it was the blue, red and green colours, t-shirts, posters and stickers on cars that lit up the streets as people gravitated towards Okatana, just outside Oshakati, to see President Sam Nujoma.It has become customary for Namibians in the North to welcome the President by lining the streets.Saturday was no exception.Dozens of people, some abandoning their trade at the Oshakati open market, began to line the main street at around 14h00.Less than 30 minutes later a string of dark, air-conditioned four-wheel-drive vehicles with tinted windows screeched past the open market.People waved, ululated and punched the air with their fists, not bothered if those inside the motorcade were responding or even paying attention to the excitement outside.Then appeared what seemed to be an aberration – a car flying a huge blue flag with a yellow star and covered with campaign posters, keeping a safe distance behind Nujoma’s motorcade.The Swapo supporters brought their fists down, booed and shouted “down CoD, down”.A kilometre westward a smaller group of about 200 people was waiting for another liberation icon to arrive.Ben Ulenga, President of the Congress of Democrats, did not get there until 16h00.Meanwhile, his supporters amused themselves with the CoD’s Oshiwambo rap songs, which are no doubt a response to a release of campaign songs by a Swapo company.The title of one of the songs is almost exactly the same, except that it reads ‘Omalaeti o CoD’ instead of ‘Swapo’.The young musician sat in the vehicle, complaining that CoD leaders had not given him money to pay the studio that produced the songs for him.Besides, “this is just business, not politics.If Swapo had asked me, I would have done it for them,” he said, declining to give his name.Others sang the party’s new songs:”Ou ino hala Beni apangele kufa okambi ndee to pona (if you don’t want Ben to rule, swallow a razor)”.As the heat from above was dissipating, and the sun slowly setting, the CoD ended its meeting by announcing a parade through Oshakati and Ongwediva.As if by design, Swapo’s meeting was also dispersing at that time, turning the CoD drive-around into a showdown with the giant of Namibia’s political parties.Like boxers waiting for judges to announce the results even though everyone else had all but figured out who the winner was, CoD and Swapo supporters hooted and jammed the streets in a spectacle that underlined maturity.Swapo supporters, vastly outnumbering those of the CoD, divided their vehicles into processions that covered all of Oshakati and Ongwediva in what seemed like a victory parade.CoD vehicles stuck together, their hooting drowned out by Swapo’s honking, yet putting up a determined challenge.The parades passed without incident despite supporters of the two parties taunting each other.CoD executive member David Nauyoma earlier conceded that his party was unlikely to win any regional council seat at the end of the month, but argued that their support had grown to such an extent that they had denied Swapo early celebrations by registering candidates in most northern Namibia constituencies that are traditional Swapo strongholds.”People are less fearful now.They are becoming aware that in a democracy they have to understand that everyone can belong to the political party of their choice.Now we go into villages freely,” said Nauyoma, adding that they had encountered few incidents\plain of hostility lately.A Swapo supporter standing in the main street argued that the CoD was simply wasting its time.”They won’t get enough voters to take a seat.”Not so, said Abraham Ndumbu, a CoD lawmaker.Within a week the voters will give their verdict at the polls and then the political temperature should cool down in Oshakati.If it seemed that these elections were going to pass like a damp squib, Oshakati, the capital of the Oshana Region, has disproved that.From early morning a sense that something was about to happen hung in the air.VIP Police and soldiers stood on street corners absorbing the rays of the harsh northern sun.However, it was the blue, red and green colours, t-shirts, posters and stickers on cars that lit up the streets as people gravitated towards Okatana, just outside Oshakati, to see President Sam Nujoma.It has become customary for Namibians in the North to welcome the President by lining the streets.Saturday was no exception.Dozens of people, some abandoning their trade at the Oshakati open market, began to line the main street at around 14h00.Less than 30 minutes later a string of dark, air-conditioned four-wheel-drive vehicles with tinted windows screeched past the open market.People waved, ululated and punched the air with their fists, not bothered if those inside the motorcade were responding or even paying attention to the excitement outside.Then appeared what seemed to be an aberration – a car flying a huge blue flag with a yellow star and covered with campaign posters, keeping a safe distance behind Nujoma’s motorcade.The Swapo supporters brought their fists down, booed and shouted “down CoD, down”.A kilometre westward a smaller group of about 200 people was waiting for another liberation icon to arrive.Ben Ulenga, President of the Congress of Democrats, did not get there until 16h00.Meanwhile, his supporters amused themselves with the CoD’s Oshiwambo rap songs, which are no doubt a response to a release of campaign songs by a Swapo company.The title of one of the songs is almost exactly the same, except that it reads ‘Omalaeti o CoD’ instead of ‘Swapo’.The young musician sat in the vehicle, complaining that CoD leaders had not given him money to pay the studio that produced the songs for him.Besides, “this is just business, not politics.If Swapo had asked me, I would have done it for them,” he said, declining to give his name.Others sang the party’s new songs:”Ou ino hala Beni apangele kufa okambi ndee to pona (if you don’t want Ben to rule, swallow a razor)”.As the heat from above was dissipating, and the sun slowly setting, the CoD ended its meeting by announcing a parade through Oshakati and Ongwediva.As if by design, Swapo’s meeting was also dispersing at that time, turning the CoD drive-around into a showdown with the giant of Namibia’s political parties.Like boxers waiting for judges to announce the results even though everyone else had all but figured out who the winner was, CoD and Swapo supporters hooted and jammed the streets in a spectacle that underlined maturity.Swapo supporters, vastly outnumbering those of the CoD, divided their vehicles into processions that covered all of Oshakati and Ongwediva in what seemed like a victory parade.CoD vehicles stuck together, their hooting drowned out by Swapo’s honking, yet putting up a determined challenge.The parades passed without incident despite supporters of the two parties taunting each other.CoD executive member David Nauyoma earlier conceded that his party was unlikely to win any regional council seat at the end of the month, but argued that their support had grown to such an extent that they had denied Swapo early celebrations by registering candidates in most northern Namibia constituencies that are traditional Swapo strongholds.”People are less fearful now.They are becoming aware that in a democracy they have to understand that everyone can belong to the political party of their choice.Now we go into villages freely,” said Nauyoma, adding that they had encountered few incidents\plain of hostility lately.A Swapo supporter standing in the main street argued that the CoD was simply wasting its time.”They won’t get enough voters to take a seat.”Not so, said Abraham Ndumbu, a CoD lawmaker.Within a week the voters will give their verdict at the polls and then the political temperature should cool down in Oshakati.