Some Swapo members holding leadership positions in various wings of the party are allegedly refusing to vacate their positions after assuming full-time jobs as councillors, governors and ministers.
This comes after allegations surfaced that Khomas governor Sam Nujoma is refusing to vacate his position as a regional coordinator for the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL), and National Council deputy chairperson and Windhoek West constituency councillor Emma Muteka is refusing to vacate her SPYL district secretary position.
Minister of environment and tourism Indileni Daniel is allegedly also refusing to give up her Swapo Party Women’s Council district coordinator post for the Windhoek West constituency.
Daniel did not respond to questions sent to her yesterday, but Muteka said: “This is new to my ears.”
She referred The Namibian to the regional executive committee.
Nujoma did not respond to questions sent to him yesterday.
The party’s Khomas region coordinator, Elliot Mbako, did not respond to questions either.
Lydia Kanime vacated her position as party information and mobilisation officer of the Samora Machel constituency, after being elected as constituency councillor in the 2025 elections.
“Minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus has vacated her post as the information and mobilisation officer for the SPYL in the Samora Machel constituency.
“The regional executive committee was chaired by Kapofi,” a source says.
Ohangwena governor Kadiva Hamutumwa has resigned from the women’s council to respect the directive, while Windhoek Rural councillor Willem Gariseb vacated his position as treasurer for that constituency after being elected as regional councillor.
Wassim Sissing vacated his Khomasdal district coordinator post after being elected as constituency councillor.
The source says party members are disappointed and describes those refusing to vacate as selfish.
They are not always available, thereby hindering party activities, the source says.
Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa issued a directive last month, saying all regions and districts should hold extraordinary conferences to elect new party members to fill the vacant positions.
The directive comes after the party politburo held a meeting on 2 February.
“The political bureau resolved to direct all regions and districts to ensure that all party members who continue to occupy full-time positions at party level, while at the same time are occupying full-time positions in government (regional councillors and regional governors), shall be replaced through an elective process,” the directive read.
Shaningwa said this was to avoid a leadership vacuum in the party structures, and the possible paralysis of party operations.
She directed that the politburo directive be carried out not later than 4 April.
The coordinators of the ||Kharas region (Matheus Mumbala), the Kavango East region (Gabriel Hakusembe) and the Kavango West region (Elina Magano) all confirmed that their members are not refusing to vacate their positions.
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