Swapo weighs options for Jooste’s replacement

CONSULTATIONS are on in the Swapo Party to identify a candidate to replace former Deputy Environment Minister Leon Jooste in the National Assembly.

Next on the party’s list is the country’s High Commissioner to Botswana, Hadino Hishongwa, followed by the personal physician of the President, Dr Viscaya Amutenya, and recently booted NBC Board Chairperson Ponhele ya France.
Jooste’s position as Deputy Minister of Environment also needs to be filled with someone else by the President.
Sources said Hishongwa was the automatic choice as per the party list but the party was not sure whether it would be the appropriate time to recall him, since he has been involved in a bitter verbal battle with the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL).
In December Hishongwa wrote an open letter to the media in which he claimed that the ruling party was infiltrated by latecomers who were out to sow hatred and disunity by means of name-calling.
He said only those who joined the party recently could question his loyalty, faithfulness, contributions and sacrifices.
Hishongwa came out firing after his name was among those distributed by the SPYL as Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) ‘hibernators’ during a Politburo meeting.
SPYL hit back at Hishongwa calling him an ‘unrepentant tribalist’ who was trying to play the role of a victim.
The High Commissioner subsequently used another platform of a party rally in the North during the holidays to attack the youth league.
Swapo sources said the party would rather prefer that Hishongwa stay in Botswana for now since there were only a few months left before the next general elections.
Dr Amutenya is the most likely candidate for now, as he would be able to double as President Pohamba’s physician while sitting in the National Assembly.
‘Dr (Iyambo) Indongo did that when he was the personal physician of (former President Sam) Nujoma. It’s only a few months and we can also give it to Ponhele after what happened at NBC,’ said one source.
Ya France was ousted by fellow NBC board members through a vote of no confidence because of deteriorating relations with Information Minister Joel Kaapanda.
Although he still regards himself as chairperson of the board, Ya France has not been active in the position for some time.
NBC sources even claimed that the photograph of the board has been replaced with a new one without him. – christof@namibian.com.na