Ulenga sick of Swapo ‘praise songs’

CONGRESS of Democrats leader Ben Ulenga on Friday questioned whether Swapo members were united in their decision-making.

Causing uproar towards the end of his contribution to the Budget debate in the National Assembly, Ulenga issued words of caution against tribalism and ethnic-based differences. “Swapo members and leaders may squabble as they please.Yet be careful not to turn tribes against one another for your own selfish reasons.I am referring to the Kwanyama bashing currently going on,as well as the demonising of the so-called Omusati clique,” said Ulenga.Deputy Minister of Local Government Kazenambo Kazenambo interjected, saying there was nothing wrong with leaders expressing the opinion that they believed people were at work to form a party against them.”If the head of state is saying it, then that is something else.If leaders are saying it, that’s politics as usual,” he said.Ulenga said he wondered how much agreement there really was within Swapo on political decisions.Ulenga said Swapo should denounce opinions rather than the people who had the constitutional power to air these views.Earlier during the Budget debate, the DTA’s McHenry Venaani interjected during the contribution of Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana to complain that he was tired of listening to praise songs for Swapo leaders during the contributions of its members.Over the past two weeks, Swapo backbenchers in particular had spent several minutes in the opening remarks of their Budget contributions praising especially former President Sam Nujoma.Venaani caused a furore when he asked Swapo MPs whether it was a prerequisite in the Swapo manifesto to start each speech with a praise song.His remarks came towards the concluding remarks by Iivula-Ithana, in which she said it was thanks to the wise leadership of Nujoma and other leaders, whom she did not name, that the legacy of good governance continued through the transfer of power to President Hifikepunye Pohamba.Minister of Labour Alpheus !Naruseb however turned the tables and instead lashed out at the press for repeatedly making comparisons between the incumbent and former presidents.”The differences are being accentuated that it drives you to nausea,” he lamented.He said such reporting caused one to wonder what the media were playing at and what agenda they were trying to push.”Swapo members and leaders may squabble as they please.Yet be careful not to turn tribes against one another for your own selfish reasons.I am referring to the Kwanyama bashing currently going on,as well as the demonising of the so-called Omusati clique,” said Ulenga.Deputy Minister of Local Government Kazenambo Kazenambo interjected, saying there was nothing wrong with leaders expressing the opinion that they believed people were at work to form a party against them.”If the head of state is saying it, then that is something else.If leaders are saying it, that’s politics as usual,” he said.Ulenga said he wondered how much agreement there really was within Swapo on political decisions.Ulenga said Swapo should denounce opinions rather than the people who had the constitutional power to air these views.Earlier during the Budget debate, the DTA’s McHenry Venaani interjected during the contribution of Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana to complain that he was tired of listening to praise songs for Swapo leaders during the contributions of its members.Over the past two weeks, Swapo backbenchers in particular had spent several minutes in the opening remarks of their Budget contributions praising especially former President Sam Nujoma.Venaani caused a furore when he asked Swapo MPs whether it was a prerequisite in the Swapo manifesto to start each speech with a praise song.His remarks came towards the concluding remarks by Iivula-Ithana, in which she said it was thanks to the wise leadership of Nujoma and other leaders, whom she did not name, that the legacy of good governance continued through the transfer of power to President Hifikepunye Pohamba.Minister of Labour Alpheus !Naruseb however turned the tables and instead lashed out at the press for repeatedly making comparisons between the incumbent and former presidents.”The differences are being accentuated that it drives you to nausea,” he lamented.He said such reporting caused one to wonder what the media were playing at and what agenda they were trying to push.