Swapo supporters at Luderitz up in arms over change of list

SOME Swapo supporters at Luderitz are fuming because the party’s list for the recent Local Authority elections was changed after the polls.

They claim that only one person among those elected at the district conference to serve on the Luderitz Town Council made it to the final list after Regional Co-ordinator Hilma Nicanor allegedly “doctored” it. The original list had David Shoombe at the top followed by Silas Antonius, Jan Scholtz, Eric Endjala, Wilhelmina Sylvester, Pesca Mapale and Hilma Johannes.The supporters claimed that they forwarded the names to Windhoek through Nicanor but the final list only had Sylvester on it.Former councillors Emilia Amupewa, Johannes Valombola, Magdalena Ipinge and Simon Haindongo all reappeared on the list.George Shimaneni was also added to the list, they allege.The dissatisfied members staged a demonstration against the handling of the nomination process and accused Nicanor of being the “think-tank behind all the mess”.Nicanor denied the allegations against her.”I am aware of the allegations.These are Swapo internal issues and are receiving attention from the head office [in Windhoek].But there is nothing like me changing the list.I am operating within party structures and there is no way the party will allow me to do that,” she said.Nicanor charged that the disgruntled members were out of order and that she expected the party to discipline them.The Swapo supporters claimed that the councillors who had been brought back had failed in their duties during the five years that they were in charge.They alleged corrupt practices and claimed they were “just power hungry”.It is alleged that the councillors used vehicles for private purposes, failed to maintain road infrastructure and mismanaged finances.They called on the party’s leadership to find an amicable solution to their concerns.Similar allegations were levelled against Nicanor at Keetmanshoop.Swapo supporters there have written to the partyŽs Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange.The original list had David Shoombe at the top followed by Silas Antonius, Jan Scholtz, Eric Endjala, Wilhelmina Sylvester, Pesca Mapale and Hilma Johannes.The supporters claimed that they forwarded the names to Windhoek through Nicanor but the final list only had Sylvester on it.Former councillors Emilia Amupewa, Johannes Valombola, Magdalena Ipinge and Simon Haindongo all reappeared on the list.George Shimaneni was also added to the list, they allege.The dissatisfied members staged a demonstration against the handling of the nomination process and accused Nicanor of being the “think-tank behind all the mess”.Nicanor denied the allegations against her.”I am aware of the allegations.These are Swapo internal issues and are receiving attention from the head office [in Windhoek].But there is nothing like me changing the list.I am operating within party structures and there is no way the party will allow me to do that,” she said.Nicanor charged that the disgruntled members were out of order and that she expected the party to discipline them.The Swapo supporters claimed that the councillors who had been brought back had failed in their duties during the five years that they were in charge.They alleged corrupt practices and claimed they were “just power hungry”.It is alleged that the councillors used vehicles for private purposes, failed to maintain road infrastructure and mismanaged finances.They called on the party’s leadership to find an amicable solution to their concerns.Similar allegations were levelled against Nicanor at Keetmanshoop.Swapo supporters there have written to the partyŽs Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange.