Swapo keeps Walvis politicians guessing

WALVIS Bay Swapo office bearers King Mandume Muatunga and Loth Vatilifa, who have been suspended from their positions as town councillor and district information and mobilisation officer respectively, are still awaiting word from Swapo’s regional executive committee about their fate.

Muatunga and Vatilifa were suspended last month for allegedly being affiliated to the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP). The move followed a decision by Swapo’s District Office Executive Committee on January 18 to ‘withdraw’ the two members from their offices.The two were given 14 days to prove their loyalty to the ruling party. Swapo’s Erongo Regional Executive Chairperson, Tommy Kaimbi, told The Namibian on Wednesday that the committee will meet next week to consider recommendations for the two members’ suspension.’Vatifila has gone public and made his [loyalty] statement, while we’re still waiting for King,’ he said.Asked if there were a possibility that the two would be reinstated, Kaimbi said he could not say.’We must wait and see what happens at the meeting. Our case is totally different to the case concerning the councillors from Windhoek. Here we made sure we followed the correct structures,’ according to him.Muatunga said he had already done all he could to convince the committee of his loyalty to the Swapo Party. Vatilifa, in a press statement on February 25, said he had no affiliation with any other party besides Swapo.In a radio broadcast, Vatilifa pledged his ‘undying’ allegiance to Swapo and even pledged N$5 000 as a personal contribution to the ruling party’s election campaign.adam@namibian.com.na