Ulenga accuses Swapo of ‘undemocratic’ tendencies

CONGRESS of Democrats President Ben Ulenga ran the risk of evoking shades of Fidel Castro when he delivered his opening statement to the second national congress of the party on Saturday.

Ulenga monopolised the podium for two hours, speaking on and off the cuff, and had to be reminded that his time had long elapsed. When he eventually closed his statement, it was with a call to delegates to look at the big picture and to forget minor differences after the congress was over.Casually dressed in a T-shirt, a formal jacket and a cap, Ulenga assailed political opponents, hailed his party for making inroads into Namibian politics and decried the lack of development in the country.He kicked off his marathon speech by saying the CoD had confounded its enemies who had hoped it would not survive.”Beyond the forced, pretended, false and artificial political ‘unity’ of the anti-democrats we visualise true voluntary political unity based not on political conformism, but on true honest debate, honestly held and freely expressed opinions,” he said.The CoD leader said his political opponents falsely proclaimed that the youngest parliamentary party had no future plans for the country.”I have a compass in my hand and I hope we all have a compass.We know where we are heading,” said Ulenga.He called CoD the only “zebra-esque” party – the only party where half of the top four positions were occupied by women and the leadership included people from all language groups.Ulenga praised the CoD for getting onto municipal councils across the country, results which, he said, “the ruling party is too shocked and too dazed to accept”.Further, he claimed that the CoD had “cracked” what was formerly known as ‘Swapo’s dens’ in Oshakati and at Gibeon.But he complained that Swapo was refusing to work with the CoD on local authority councils for the welfare of the various towns’ residents, but were prepared to co-operate with the DTA and the Republican Party.”Swapo is, in its heart of hearts anti-democratic.They fear the Congress of Democrats like the devil fears the cross,” he said.The CoD leader claimed that Swapo’s vision was being espoused by leaders like Home Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo who had once said that every Namibian should be a ruling party member, put up party flags on rooftops and paint their teeth the blue, red and green of the party colours.Swapo Youth League leader Paulus Kapia wanted white judges and the socalled liberal press out of Namibia so that “judges are only appointed from the cadres of Swapo or Zanu PF, no matter whether they have been to law school”.President Sam Nujoma himself continued to tell whites to return to where their ancestors came from, said Ulenga.”What a shame from the President of a multi-lingual, multi-cultural state.”Ulenga urged party members to make education the foremost priority, while finding ways to make the economy grow.He rejected the expropriation of land as unnecessary.Ulenga said expropriation focused on politics, alienated communities, destroyed the agricultural economy and did not benefit farmworkers.He said the CoD would rather inject skills and resources into developing agricultural projects along the Kavango, Quando and Kunene rivers.And, in a parting shot to his comrades, Ulenga said:”Do not confuse trees with forests, branches with trees, stones and rocks with mountains, bigger things with small things.”We can differ on small things, but let’s be together on big ones.”The Congress was also attended by a representative of the Social Democratic Party of Sweden.When he eventually closed his statement, it was with a call to delegates to look at the big picture and to forget minor differences after the congress was over.Casually dressed in a T-shirt, a formal jacket and a cap, Ulenga assailed political opponents, hailed his party for making inroads into Namibian politics and decried the lack of development in the country.He kicked off his marathon speech by saying the CoD had confounded its enemies who had hoped it would not survive.”Beyond the forced, pretended, false and artificial political ‘unity’ of the anti-democrats we visualise true voluntary political unity based not on political conformism, but on true honest debate, honestly held and freely expressed opinions,” he said.The CoD leader said his political opponents falsely proclaimed that the youngest parliamentary party had no future plans for the country.”I have a compass in my hand and I hope we all have a compass.We know where we are heading,” said Ulenga.He called CoD the only “zebra-esque” party – the only party where half of the top four positions were occupied by women and the leadership included people from all language groups.Ulenga praised the CoD for getting onto municipal councils across the country, results which, he said, “the ruling party is too shocked and too dazed to accept”.Further, he claimed that the CoD had “cracked” what was formerly known as ‘Swapo’s dens’ in Oshakati and at Gibeon.But he complained that Swapo was refusing to work with the CoD on local authority councils for the welfare of the various towns’ residents, but were prepared to co-operate with the DTA and the Republican Party.”Swapo is, in its heart of hearts anti-democratic.They fear the Congress of Democrats like the devil fears the cross,” he said.The CoD leader claimed that Swapo’s vision was being espoused by leaders like Home Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo who had once said that every Namibian should be a ruling party member, put up party flags on rooftops and paint their teeth the blue, red and green of the party colours.Swapo Youth League leader Paulus Kapia wanted white judges and the socalled liberal press out of Namibia so that “judges are only appointed from the cadres of Swapo or Zanu PF, no matter whether they have been to law school”.President Sam Nujoma himself continued to tell whites to return to where their ancestors came from, said Ulenga.”What a shame from the President of a multi-lingual, multi-cultural state.”Ulenga urged party members to make education the foremost priority, while finding ways to make the economy grow.He rejected the expropriation of land as unnecessary.Ulenga said expropriation focused on politics, alienated communities, destroyed the agricultural economy and did not benefit farmworkers.He said the CoD would rather inject skills and resources into developing agricultural projects along the Kavango, Quando and Kunene rivers.And, in a parting shot to his comrades, Ulenga said:”Do not confuse trees with forests, branches with trees, stones and rocks with mountains, bigger things with small things.”We can differ on small things, but let’s be together on big ones.”The Congress was also attended by a representative of the Social Democratic Party of Sweden.