Rival CoD groups expel each other

NAMIBIA’S main opposition party, the Congress of Democrats (CoD), is at sixes and sevens after two rival factions suspended and expelled each other yesterday after holding separate meetings over the weekend.

It is the first time that such a situation has occurred in Namibian politics. The faction grouped around Ben Ulenga held what he called a national executive committee meeting on Saturday and expelled Nora Schimming-Chase, Kala Gertze, Ignatius Shixwameni, Elma Dienda as well as Herbert Schultz and Pauline Dempers with immediate effect.However, on the same day, the group under Ignatius Shixwameni, which staged a walkout during the discredited extraordinary congress at Keetmanshoop in May, also held a meeting – with 170 CoD members from 10 regions.They voted to suspend Ulenga, Tsuda o Gurirab, Rosa Namises, Natji Tjirera and three others from the party.”All those who claim to be members of the CoD national executive committee, national working committee or CoD ‘leadership’ are not leaders of the party (anym ore),” the Shixwameni group said in a statement yesterday.”We are the CoD majority.”The other Ulenga supporters who were suspended are Uno Hengari, Innocentia Mokomele and Ben Kapi.After the disputed Keetmanshoop elections, both factions agreed to appoint an independent panel to do an audit of the elections.It found that the elections were indeed fraudulent and irregular.Earlier, Ulenga had publicly declared that he and his leadership team would step down should any irregularities be found.Both factions signed an agreement that they would accept the outcome of the audit and would set up an interim committee comprised of three members of each group.However, Ulenga backtracked on his word last week, just hours before the committee was to be established.He announced that he and his group had pulled out of the interim committee.In a letter shown to The Namibian yesterday and dated August 7, Ulenga’s lawyers informed panel chairman Clement Daniels that “the CoD was not party to this agreement and we believe that the formation of such an (interim) committee will be ultra vires the CoD party constitution and in con?ict therewith”.”Suspending us is a joke,” said Tsudao Gurirab yesterday when approached for comment.”This cannot be taken seriously.CoD has a constitution and that should be followed.”Gurirab handed The Namibian a press statement which declared “that activities of a group of CoD members to dismember the party and especially activities of some CoD Parliamentarians” had resulted in the party losing its trust in them.”The party has therefore resolved to expel them.”Asked to comment, Shixwameni was still unaware of the expulsion.”Ulenga must explain to the nation how he can lead the party with his little group,” Shixwameni said after being informed by The Namibian that he and his team had been expelled.”He cannot expel us just like that – where is the mandate?” he asked.While the Shixwameni group invited the media to the opening of its Saturday meeting, the Ulenga group did not; nor did it inform reporters of the meeting.The 171 CoD members supporting Shixwameni were in a de?ant mood on Saturday, with 10 regions represented as well as the leaders of the Women Democrats and the Young Democrats.They elected two representatives from the 10 regions, while Shixwameni, Schimming-Chase, Pauline Dempers, Moses Katjiuongua and Reverend Kauna Schroeder are now calling themselves the “national interim leadership”.Elma Dienda, Gerson Mutendere and Portia Kondombolo are also members of the Shixwameni leadership team.The faction grouped around Ben Ulenga held what he called a national executive committee meeting on Saturday and expelled Nora Schimming-Chase, Kala Gertze, Ignatius Shixwameni, Elma Dienda as well as Herbert Schultz and Pauline Dempers with immediate effect.However, on the same day, the group under Ignatius Shixwameni, which staged a walkout during the discredited extraordinary congress at Keetmanshoop in May, also held a meeting – with 170 CoD members from 10 regions.They voted to suspend Ulenga, Tsuda o Gurirab, Rosa Namises, Natji Tjirera and three others from the party.”All those who claim to be members of the CoD national executive committee, national working committee or CoD ‘leadership’ are not leaders of the party (anym ore),” the Shixwameni group said in a statement yesterday.”We are the CoD majority.”The other Ulenga supporters who were suspended are Uno Hengari, Innocentia Mokomele and Ben Kapi.After the disputed Keetmanshoop elections, both factions agreed to appoint an independent panel to do an audit of the elections.It found that the elections were indeed fraudulent and irregular.Earlier, Ulenga had publicly declared that he and his leadership team would step down should any irregularities be found.Both factions signed an agreement that they would accept the outcome of the audit and would set up an interim committee comprised of three members of each group.However, Ulenga backtracked on his word last week, just hours before the committee was to be established.He announced that he and his group had pulled out of the interim committee.In a letter shown to The Namibian yesterday and dated August 7, Ulenga’s lawyers informed panel chairman Clement Daniels that “the CoD was not party to this agreement and we believe that the formation of such an (interim) committee will be ultra vires the CoD party constitution and in con?ict therewith”.”Suspending us is a joke,” said Tsudao Gurirab yesterday when approached for comment.”This cannot be taken seriously.CoD has a constitution and that should be followed.”Gurirab handed The Namibian a press statement which declared “that activities of a group of CoD members to dismember the party and especially activities of some CoD Parliamentarians” had resulted in the party losing its trust in them.”The party has therefore resolved to expel them.”Asked to comment, Shixwameni was still unaware of the expulsion.”Ulenga must explain to the nation how he can lead the party with his little group,” Shixwameni said after being informed by The Namibian that he and his team had been expelled.”He cannot expel us just like that – where is the mandate?” he asked.While the Shixwameni group invited the media to the opening of its Saturday meeting, the Ulenga group did not; nor did it inform reporters of the meeting.The 171 CoD members supporting Shixwameni were in a de?ant mood on Saturday, with 10 regions represented as well as the leaders of the Women Democrats and the Young Democrats.They elected two representatives from the 10 regions, while Shixwameni, Schimming-Chase, Pauline Dempers, Moses Katjiuongua and Reverend Kauna Schroeder are now calling themselves the “national interim leadership”.Elma Dienda, Gerson Mutendere and Portia Kondombolo are also members of the Shixwameni leadership team.