A GROUP of Swapo members marched to the party’s regional office at Otjiwarongo yesterday to demand the removal of the regional leadership.
Okahandja constituency councillor Steve Biko Booys confirmed the march, saying the members were against factionalism, tribalism and the abuse of the party’s constitution, among others, by the regional leadership.
“There are a lot of issues happening in Otjozondjupa, and the people are not happy,” he stated, adding that there are calls for a vote of no confidence in regional coordinator Susan Hikopua.
Hikopua told yesterday that Booys and regional governor Otto Iipinge organised the march. She said some of the people from the Otavi, Grootfontein, Okahandja and Omatako districts who lost out during the branch elections wanted to disrupt the regional conference.
Hikopua furthermore claimed that Booys had confirmed writing the petition and offered to take it to Swapo secretary general Nangolo Mbumba’s office after the regional office refused to receive it.
She said her office was considering taking disciplinary action against those who instigated the “divisive march” and also took part in it.
“Those are people trying to destroy the region and stop the conference slated for the weekend because they were not nominated for the conference,” she stressed.
Hikopua said if Booys and Iipinge had complaints about her leadership, they could have addressed it through the party structures before the district and regional conferences are done.
“The party has structures to follow when a member has a complaint,” she said, adding that the aggrieved persons just want to bulldoze into positions at the regional conference.
“I have a clear and fair leadership, and I do not favour anyone,” said Hikopua.
She said the nominations were submitted last week, and six districts nominated her.
Booys, however, denied organising the march, saying “those are members of the party who are fed up with the regional leadership”.
He, however, had put up a reminder for the march on his Facebook page yesterday.
Efforts to get comment from Iipinge were unsuccessful. Mbumba
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