SWANU eagerly awaits elections

NAMIBIA’S oldest political party, the South West Africa National Union (Swanu) is set to contest the November general elections.

The party’s central committee met in Windhoek at the weekend to deliberate on a number of political and socio-economic issues currently affecting Namibia. Key amongst the CC’s agenda was the land issue and alleged involvement of traditional authorities in politics, which according to Swanu further polarises the Namibian society.Swanu strongly condemned the Mbanderu traditional authority and others in the north for openly declaring their support for Swapo’s presidential candidate Hifikepunye Pohamba.Swanu President, Rihupisa Kandando, said that the party accepts the fact that people have the right to favour an individual, but this right is not given to traditional authorities because they represent people with different political orientation.”This public pronouncement [by traditional leaders] is blatant, naked and the most glaring example of their despotic determination to indirectly impose Pohamba on the Namibian people without a fair and levelled play field,” he charged.”Our plea to them is to do everything possible to unite and reconcile our people rather than try to disunite them and drive them further apart.”Kandando did not rule out the possibility of his party seeking legal action should traditional leaders persist their “unlawful” involvement in politics and thereby influence their subjects during elections.Turning to land redistribution, Swanu says it supports in principle Government’s land expropriation policy, but it was however still worried by the modalities and methodologies that would be used.”Land expropriation is fact, a provision of the Namibian Constitution…we do not know why Swapo has delayed its implementation all these years since 1990,” Kandando stated.Announcing its participation in the upcoming national elections, Swanu made it categorically clear that it would enter into a possible electoral pact with parties and organisations which subscribe to socialists ideologies.”The party leadership has been mandated to effect greater dialogue and practical co-operation among socialist-orientated organisations and progressive, independent individuals that share a common commitment to socialism and democracy,” Kandando emphasised.The Swanu central committee further lashed out at what it termed the resurgence of political parties with ethnic and tribal tendencies.The party also came out strongly against Nudo President Kuaima Riruako’s calls for a federal state, and reaffirmed its support for the sovereign, secular and unitary state of Namibia.Key amongst the CC’s agenda was the land issue and alleged involvement of traditional authorities in politics, which according to Swanu further polarises the Namibian society.Swanu strongly condemned the Mbanderu traditional authority and others in the north for openly declaring their support for Swapo’s presidential candidate Hifikepunye Pohamba.Swanu President, Rihupisa Kandando, said that the party accepts the fact that people have the right to favour an individual, but this right is not given to traditional authorities because they represent people with different political orientation.”This public pronouncement [by traditional leaders] is blatant, naked and the most glaring example of their despotic determination to indirectly impose Pohamba on the Namibian people without a fair and levelled play field,” he charged.”Our plea to them is to do everything possible to unite and reconcile our people rather than try to disunite them and drive them further apart.”Kandando did not rule out the possibility of his party seeking legal action should traditional leaders persist their “unlawful” involvement in politics and thereby influence their subjects during elections.Turning to land redistribution, Swanu says it supports in principle Government’s land expropriation policy, but it was however still worried by the modalities and methodologies that would be used.”Land expropriation is fact, a provision of the Namibian Constitution…we do not know why Swapo has delayed its implementation all these years since 1990,” Kandando stated.Announcing its participation in the upcoming national elections, Swanu made it categorically clear that it would enter into a possible electoral pact with parties and organisations which subscribe to socialists ideologies.”The party leadership has been mandated to effect greater dialogue and practical co-operation among socialist-orientated organisations and progressive, independent individuals that share a common commitment to socialism and democracy,” Kandando emphasised.The Swanu central committee further lashed out at what it termed the resurgence of political parties with ethnic and tribal tendencies.The party also came out strongly against Nudo President Kuaima Riruako’s calls for a federal state, and reaffirmed its support for the sovereign, secular and unitary state of Namibia.