Swapo being torn apart by ‘witch-hunts, victimisation, vilification’

WITCH-HUNTS, victimisation, exclusion and the ostracising of some leaders and members who dare to question a growing cult of personality has heralded dark days in Swapo, an opinion published in today’s edition of The Namibian charges.

The letter, written by prominent Swapo personalities – Ambassador Shapua Kaukungua and Michaela Hubschle – claims that underhand political machinery at the top of the ruling party is rigging the democratic processes in the ruling party. “It has now become the main strategy of the clique to isolate, sideline, victimise and witch-hunt those who stand for the democratic ideals and principles in the Swapo Party,” they said.The letter comes in the wake of the two, among others, being ousted when their election in the Windhoek East district was unilaterally nullified by Michael Mwinga, Swapo’s Khomas Regional Co-ordinator.They claimed that several other elected people were ousted in the same manner by people acting on instructions of a “handler” and that those originally elected had been replaced by “unprincipled elements”.Giving examples of events in the Khomas, Oshana, Otjozondjupa, Karas and Hardap regions, the writers charge that people “not to the liking of the ‘power-that-be’ in Swapo” were unconstitutionally replaced by hand-picked individuals found to be fit to carry out instructions from the “handler”.Others, they said, were evicted from the leadership because they did not “fit in the scheme of things that had begun to evolve in Swapo”.”This is to say, that the team could not conform to the tendency or negative habit towards total domination and manipulation in the organisation,” they said.In other cases national leaders were assigned to get aggressively involved in ousting certain elected district leaders despite the party’s constitution not providing for their involvement.”The task of such leaders is purely administrative.”In other words, their role is strictly to observe and advise local officials were it is necessary.”Since the Swapo Constitution does not make any provision for the assigned national leaders to interfere in the local and regional party politics or nullify and dismiss democratically elected local leaders, it is a gross abuse of power to use such people to dismiss dully elected officials,” the letter states.”They nullified and dismissed people who, in their view, were non-compliant with their undemocratic dictates.”The result was that many loyal and often long-serving Swapo members were sidelined and targeted in a witch-hunt as they were labelled “imperialists” – “which is a senseless cliché of the campaign of vilification”.According to the duo, the illegal practices have introduced “anarchy” in the party and will have far-reaching ramifications.”People have begun to contemptuously disrespect procedures laid down in the constitution of the party,” they say.”It has now become the main strategy of the clique to isolate, sideline, victimise and witch-hunt those who stand for the democratic ideals and principles in the Swapo Party,” they said.The letter comes in the wake of the two, among others, being ousted when their election in the Windhoek East district was unilaterally nullified by Michael Mwinga, Swapo’s Khomas Regional Co-ordinator.They claimed that several other elected people were ousted in the same manner by people acting on instructions of a “handler” and that those originally elected had been replaced by “unprincipled elements”.Giving examples of events in the Khomas, Oshana, Otjozondjupa, Karas and Hardap regions, the writers charge that people “not to the liking of the ‘power-that-be’ in Swapo” were unconstitutionally replaced by hand-picked individuals found to be fit to carry out instructions from the “handler”. Others, they said, were evicted from the leadership because they did not “fit in the scheme of things that had begun to evolve in Swapo”.”This is to say, that the team could not conform to the tendency or negative habit towards total domination and manipulation in the organisation,” they said.In other cases national leaders were assigned to get aggressively involved in ousting certain elected district leaders despite the party’s constitution not providing for their involvement.”The task of such leaders is purely administrative.”In other words, their role is strictly to observe and advise local officials were it is necessary.”Since the Swapo Constitution does not make any provision for the assigned national leaders to interfere in the local and regional party politics or nullify and dismiss democratically elected local leaders, it is a gross abuse of power to use such people to dismiss dully elected officials,” the letter states.”They nullified and dismissed people who, in their view, were non-compliant with their undemocratic dictates.”The result was that many loyal and often long-serving Swapo members were sidelined and targeted in a witch-hunt as they were labelled “imperialists” – “which is a senseless cliché of the campaign of vilification”.According to the duo, the illegal practices have introduced “anarchy” in the party and will have far-reaching ramifications.”People have begun to contemptuously disrespect procedures laid down in the constitution of the party,” they say.