Swapo makes an exception for four councillors

THE Swapo Party Politburo has done a U-turn on a party decision that no regional councillor will be eligible for nomination for the party’s list of candidates for the National Assembly elections at the Electoral College starting today.

Flying in the face of Tuesday’s announcement by Secretary of Information and Mobilisation, Jerry Ekandjo, that no regional councillor will be accommodated on the parliamentary list because they still have a year in office, The Namibian was reliably informed that the Politburo has made an exception for four regional councillors.The four who are now eligible are Margreth Mensah-Williams, Clemens Kashuupulwa, Usko Nghaamwa and Katrina Hanse-Himarwa. The last three are the Governors of the Oshana, Ohangwena and Hardap regions respectively, while Mensah-Williams is the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council.All four are known staunch supporters of former President Sam Nujoma.When contacted last night, Ekandjo maintained it was not an exception.According to him, Kashuupulwa, Nghaamwa and Mensah-William are candidates by virtue of their membership of the Swapo Central Committee. In the case of Hanse-Himarwa, it is an issue with her constituency, he said. ‘It is up to the Hardap Region if they have sent her to the electoral college as a delegate or a candidate,’ he said.Ekandjo said on Tuesday: ‘They [regional councillors] can’t just jump. They have to finish serving their terms.’ The move paves the way for the four, who are no strangers to controversy, to be nominated and eventually elected onto the list of 59 to be chosen at today’s Electoral College.They feature on a list of 37 names, topped by Jerry Ekandjo, which is said to be sponsored by the Nujoma faction in the party.