THE Swapo Party’s Erongo branch yesterday apologised to the DRC residents in Swakopmund for the delay in the formalisation of the informal settlement.
The main reason for the press conference that was called yesterday was to “show sympathy” to the residents.
“Your suffering is also our suffering and your crying is also our crying. The Swapo party leadership has you in our heart and we are not forgetting you,” said Swapo’s Erongo Cordinator Phillipus Heita.
He blamed the delay in the formalisation on those responsible for drafting the process and not the Swakopmund Town Council, as alleged by the DRC residents.
“The local authority has made a pledge that the DRC residents are its first priority to benefit. The party is urging the municipality to redirect their activities to make sure that the proclamation of the DRC is done as soon as possible,” said Heita.
Swapo’s response follows short on the heels of an appeal by RDP, who earlier this week called on the DRC residents to vote for the party if they want to see better days.
The RDP issued a statement from its headquarters urging the residents to rethink their intentions to return voting cards and not participate in next year’s elections.
“Returning the voters’ cards to ECN is neither the answer to their plight, nor will abstinence from participation in the general and presidential elections bring them the necessary changes they so need,” the statement read, adding that change will only come once the voters realise that they must now vote differently for a party of their choice that can deliver the services to them.
Last week, the DRC returned nearly 8 000 voters’ cards to the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) in protest to the Swakopmund Municipal Council’s formalisation plans for the shack community.
The cards were not returned by hand to the ECN but were handed to the DRC Residents Concerned Group for ‘safe-keeping’. It handing over of the cards is to demonstrate the residents readiness to boycott next year’s elections.
Chairperson of the concerned group David Nghiimbwasha, who wanted to do the official handover last week in the presence of the media, claims he has been threatened with his life not to continue with returning the voters’ cards or going to the press regarding the matter.
Heita yesterday told the press that no such threats were made by the party, adding that there were party guidelines that needed to be followed.
“If someone has threatened him, he has all the right to go and open a case at the police,” said Heita.
Heita also said that it was not true that nearly 8 000 voters cards had been returned, and that this was an over exaggeration by the concerned group.
The residents are saying they will not vote until they get an affordable piece of land.
