Swapo youth leaders suspension ‘not linked to Omaheke feuding’

THE Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) insists that the suspension of two of its top leaders in the Omaheke Region is not linked to an ongoing internal feuding between rival Swapo factions in the volatile region.

“These things of factions have nothing to do with us, we took action against those members because there were serious allegations of misconduct against them from SPYL members,” SPYL Secretary for Information, Elijah Ngurare, told a media briefing in the capital yesterday. SPYL central committee and national executive member Ambrosius Kandjii and Omaheke regional secretary Salomo Hepundjua were suspended at the weekend for allegedly breaching the organisation’s code of conduct.The suspension, which coincided with Swapo’s upcoming internal primary elections for the November regional polls, has apparently been necessitated by a petition accusing the duo of malpractice and favouritism.But some youth league members in Omaheke have questioned the credibility of the petition and charged that it was just a ploy to scupper Kandjii’s challenge to Omaheke Governor Laura McLeod in the impending primaries.Kandjii, who is also the national co-ordinator of the Namibia Amateur Boxing Federation, was seen as a strong contender against Mcleod.Last year the ruling party was forced to abandon its preliminary elections after supporters of Kandjii and McLeod clashed during acrimonious campaigns at Gobabis.Among a myriad of allegations against Kandjii and Hepundjua contained in the petition, which Ngurare said was signed by more than 50 SPYL members in Omaheke, are that they failed to set up the organisation’s structure for the last five years.They are also accused of having hand-picked and appointed their preferred candidates into positions with out conducting the required constitutional conferences.According to the purported petitioners, Kandjii and Hepundjua, together with a certain D. Modisa, conducted “this unprocedural and unconstitutional process irregularly” without any supervision from the Swapo regional office.”This process is exactly conducted on a similar illegal basis as the previous nullified preliminaries in Omaheke where some comrades were elected to positions telephonically,” Ngurare said, quoting from the petition.Meanwhile, Ngurare also announced that the SPYL had also suspended its regional administrator in the Otjozondjupa Region, Hafeni Shaanika, for alleged indiscipline.According to Ngurare, Shaanika held “illegal” meetings with non-youth league members where the Swapo leadership was publicly criticised.Some Swapo Party insiders have, however, remained critical of the suspension of the three SPYL officials and lamented a wide-spread witch hunt against people suspected to have backed axed former Foreign Minister Hidipo Hamutenya in the run-up to the extraordinary congress in May.The three are said to known sympathisers of Hamutenya.Hepundjua confirmed his suspension, but dismissed all the allegations against him.”These are just cocked up stories to tarnish my name… whoever is behind this campaign against me is not a committed member of the [Swapo] party,” he said.Also denying the charges against him, Shaanika said:”I was at no point in any time that I was involved in an illegal meeting, the statement is unfounded and is from people wanting to tarnish my name… for what reason I don’t know.”Kandjii is still out of the country and could not be reached for comment.SPYL central committee and national executive member Ambrosius Kandjii and Omaheke regional secretary Salomo Hepundjua were suspended at the weekend for allegedly breaching the organisation’s code of conduct.The suspension, which coincided with Swapo’s upcoming internal primary elections for the November regional polls, has apparently been necessitated by a petition accusing the duo of malpractice and favouritism.But some youth league members in Omaheke have questioned the credibility of the petition and charged that it was just a ploy to scupper Kandjii’s challenge to Omaheke Governor Laura McLeod in the impending primaries.Kandjii, who is also the national co-ordinator of the Namibia Amateur Boxing Federation, was seen as a strong contender against Mcleod.Last year the ruling party was forced to abandon its preliminary elections after supporters of Kandjii and McLeod clashed during acrimonious campaigns at Gobabis.Among a myriad of allegations against Kandjii and Hepundjua contained in the petition, which Ngurare said was signed by more than 50 SPYL members in Omaheke, are that they failed to set up the organisation’s structure for the last five years.They are also accused of having hand-picked and appointed their preferred candidates into positions with out conducting the required constitutional conferences.According to the purported petitioners, Kandjii and Hepundjua, together with a certain D. Modisa, conducted “this unprocedural and unconstitutional process irregularly” without any supervision from the Swapo regional office.”This process is exactly conducted on a similar illegal basis as the previous nullified preliminaries in Omaheke where some comrades were elected to positions telephonically,” Ngurare said, quoting from the petition.Meanwhile, Ngurare also announced that the SPYL had also suspended its regional administrator in the Otjozondjupa Region, Hafeni Shaanika, for alleged indiscipline.According to Ngurare, Shaanika held “illegal” meetings with non-youth league members where the Swapo leadership was publicly criticised.Some Swapo Party insiders have, however, remained critical of the suspension of the three SPYL officials and lamented a wide-spread witch hunt against people suspected to have backed axed former Foreign Minister Hidipo Hamutenya in the run-up to the extraordinary congress in May.The three are said to known sympathisers of Hamutenya.Hepundjua confirmed his suspension, but dismissed all the allegations against him.”These are just cocked up stories to tarnish my name… whoever is behind this campaign against me is not a committed member of the [Swapo] party,” he said.Also denying the charges against him, Shaanika said:”I was at no point in any time that I was involved in an illegal meeting, the statement is unfounded and is from people wanting to tarnish my name… for what reason I don’t know.”Kandjii is still out of the country and could not be reached for comment.