Swapo is in ICU – Haingura

OSHAKATI was on Saturday the scene of Swapo’s intra-party war, which is getting hotter and dirtier as its 6th congress draws closer.

The party’s elective congress will take place from 23 to 26 November, and rival candidates for the top four positions are now battling for the hearts and minds of congress delegates.

A group of seven candidates, who identify themselves as ‘Team Swapo’, and said to be on a mission to rescue the former liberation movement from imminent collapse, held a star rally at Oshakati on Saturday and launched a scathing attack on acting Swapo president Hage Geingob, accusing him of destroying the party and of fomenting tribalist tendencies.

“Swapo is currently in the intensive care unit,” former deputy health minister and candidate for the deputy secretary general’s post, Petrina Haingura, charged.

Party presidential candidate Nahas Angula said he accepted the nomination for the vacant post of party president not to seek glory or power for himself, but because he noticed that Swapo was slowly but surely being destroyed, becoming elitist, mistreating youth leaders, and sidelining workers, who were Swapo’s initial constituency. He said the economy is deteriorating, the level of unemployment is high, housing is unaffordable and Namibia is now classified as a junk state.

“But still, government leaders continue to borrow like there is no tomorrow,” he stressed.

His opponent in the presidential race, Jerry Ekandjo, dismissed the claim that having a head of state who is not simultaneously the president of the party would create two centres of power.

“There is only one centre of power, and it is Swapo. Even the head of state is delegated by that centre of power,” he said.

Vice presidential candidate Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana accused Geingob of using tribalistic language, and then got personal, saying she cannot understand Geingob’s dislike of Aawambo since his father was Omuwambo, just like his [Geingob’s] former and current wives.

In turn, Helmut Angula, who is also standing for vice presidency against Iivula-Ithana, said ‘Team Hage’ was not about the party, but about one man.

Swapo’s Oshikoto regional coordinator, Armas Amukwiyu, who wants the secretary general’s position, promised that if he emerges victorious, that office will never be used to fight Swapo members again, but will be used to serve all party members equally.

Haingura reiterated that the ruling party is currently in the intensive care unit due to chronic violations of its constitution by the current party leadership under Geingob.

Deputy secretary general candidate Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun noted that the country’s economy is currently weak, to such an extent that some Namibian employers had to retrench workers because they can no longer pay salaries, but at the same time opportunities are being given to foreigners.

The Oshakati rally was fairly well-attended.

Prominent people in attendance included former ministers Ben Amadhila, Moses Amweelo and Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, former CoD president Ben Ulenga, former ambassadors Nickey Nashandi and Eddy Amukongo, former deputy ministers Henok ya Kasita and Peter Iilonga, deputy minister Chief Samuel Ankama, former chief of the Namibia Defence Force Martin Shalli, Oshana regional coordinator Samuel Nelongo, former Omuthiya constituency councillor Armas Amukoto and former Oshakati mayor Onesmus Shilunga.

Former Oshana regional director of education Johannes Kandombo was the master of ceremonies.

The proceedings at the rally were broadcast live on the Oshiwambo radio service of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation.

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