RP’s Engelbrecht says no to ‘blind loyalty’

THE Republican Party has officially sacked Carola Engelbrecht as its Secretary General for refusing to agree to “unconditionally and in the interest of the Party support, trust and protect the President of the Republican Party”.

In a surprise move, the executive committee yesterday endorsed a decision by party president Henk Mudge to oust Engelbrecht after insiders indicated last week that they would not easily back the decision. It appears Mudge pulled out all stops to rustle up backing for his decision.Party members not part of the executive, including Mudge’s retired politician father, Dirk Mudge, were said to be at the meeting that voted out Engelbrecht.The Namibian was unable to establish how many executive members were present.A statement issued in the name of the executive committe late yesterday afternoon said it had no choice but to “relieve her of the position of Secretary General”, because she responded “negatively” to a letter from Mudge on June 21, demanding her unconditional loyalty.By 17h15 yesterday Engelbrecht told The Namibian that she had not yet been officially informed of the party’s decision, and had only learnt of her dismissal from a radio report.She appeared unaffected by the RP’s attempts to nip her fledgling political career in the bud and said she could not be expected not to have differences of opinion with the party’s leadership.”Blind loyalty is not the mature way in a democracy.You can’t just remove a person who differs in opinion with the leader.The executive are not just there to rubberstamp his decisions,” she said.Engelbrecht said she was a “passionate fighter for democracy” and could not practice double standards by, for example, accusing Swapo members of having to blindly fall in behind their leader, if she allowed the same.”Any issue should be open for discussion.Nobody can force me not to have differences in opinion with the president.Trust is not enforced; it must be earned.Human beings are fallible.Even if it costs my head, I must be constant,” she said.Engelbrecht said she would consider offers already made by other parties to join them if the RP was not open to differences in opinion.Last week party insiders said the executive committee would not easily agree to Mudge firing Engelbrecht, because he had allegedly acted contrary to the party’s constitution by taking the decision without their backing.In its statement, the Executive Committee said the position of Secretary General would be filled “in due course” by a person prepared to travel extensively, who knows and understands the party’s policies and who must be “loyal to the Party and its leadership”.Amidst reports that the Chairperson of the Executive Committee, Daan Holtzhausen, planned to resign from his position at yesterday’s meeting, Holtzhausen told The Namibian that he had been considering this, but his “reservations” had been “cleared up” and he had decided to stay on.In April, the RP’s CEO Jackie Visagie resigned his post.It appears Mudge pulled out all stops to rustle up backing for his decision.Party members not part of the executive, including Mudge’s retired politician father, Dirk Mudge, were said to be at the meeting that voted out Engelbrecht.The Namibian was unable to establish how many executive members were present.A statement issued in the name of the executive committe late yesterday afternoon said it had no choice but to “relieve her of the position of Secretary General”, because she responded “negatively” to a letter from Mudge on June 21, demanding her unconditional loyalty.By 17h15 yesterday Engelbrecht told The Namibian that she had not yet been officially informed of the party’s decision, and had only learnt of her dismissal from a radio report.She appeared unaffected by the RP’s attempts to nip her fledgling political career in the bud and said she could not be expected not to have differences of opinion with the party’s leadership.”Blind loyalty is not the mature way in a democracy.You can’t just remove a person who differs in opinion with the leader.The executive are not just there to rubberstamp his decisions,” she said.Engelbrecht said she was a “passionate fighter for democracy” and could not practice double standards by, for example, accusing Swapo members of having to blindly fall in behind their leader, if she allowed the same.”Any issue should be open for discussion.Nobody can force me not to have differences in opinion with the president.Trust is not enforced; it must be earned.Human beings are fallible.Even if it costs my head, I must be constant,” she said.Engelbrecht said she would consider offers already made by other parties to join them if the RP was not open to differences in opinion.Last week party insiders said the executive committee would not easily agree to Mudge firing Engelbrecht, because he had allegedly acted contrary to the party’s constitution by taking the decision without their backing.In its statement, the Executive Committee said the position of Secretary General would be filled “in due course” by a person prepared to travel extensively, who knows and understands the party’s policies and who must be “loyal to the Party and its leadership”.Amidst reports that the Chairperson of the Executive Committee, Daan Holtzhausen, planned to resign from his position at yesterday’s meeting, Holtzhausen told The Namibian that he had been considering this, but his “reservations” had been “cleared up” and he had decided to stay on.In April, the RP’s CEO Jackie Visagie resigned his post.