Unions fail to make Swapo cut

TRADE unions and regions were among the biggest losers at the Swapo electoral convention held at the weekend.

The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), which is affiliated to Swapo, had six delegates at the convention, including its president Risto Kapenda, who is a member of the Swapo Central Committee. All the union delegates were nominated for Swapo’s 72 National Assembly positions in the November elections.Kapenda came the closest at 61 on the list of elected candidates, but that could translate into 73 when the 10 nominees of the party president are added, as well as Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange and Deputy Secretary General John Pandeni, who are automatic selections.The unions have consistently provided an injection of fresh blood for the ruling party in national politics.This time, not a single one made it.Kapenda acknowledged: “Definitely, we performed poorly.NUNW was very, very sensitive prior to the convention, while others went out to the regions to campaign, we kept to ourselves.”The firebrand union leaders did not explain, but NUNW may have decided to keep a low profile after burning their fingers with barely concealed support for axed Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya as the successor to President Sam Nujoma.As it was, Hamutenya lost in an ill-tempered campaign that Nujoma personally spearheaded, and the President appears bent on crushing whatever remains of his influence in the ruling party.Kapenda said they tried to avoid the controversies experienced by some party structures.”We feel that next time we will have to do better.In the absence of anybody from the current leadership, there will be a vacuum,” said Kapenda.The 13 regions, which each had nominated two candidates, could muster no more than two candidates in the top 60 positions on the list.All the union delegates were nominated for Swapo’s 72 National Assembly positions in the November elections.Kapenda came the closest at 61 on the list of elected candidates, but that could translate into 73 when the 10 nominees of the party president are added, as well as Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange and Deputy Secretary General John Pandeni, who are automatic selections.The unions have consistently provided an injection of fresh blood for the ruling party in national politics.This time, not a single one made it.Kapenda acknowledged: “Definitely, we performed poorly.NUNW was very, very sensitive prior to the convention, while others went out to the regions to campaign, we kept to ourselves.”The firebrand union leaders did not explain, but NUNW may have decided to keep a low profile after burning their fingers with barely concealed support for axed Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya as the successor to President Sam Nujoma.As it was, Hamutenya lost in an ill-tempered campaign that Nujoma personally spearheaded, and the President appears bent on crushing whatever remains of his influence in the ruling party.Kapenda said they tried to avoid the controversies experienced by some party structures.”We feel that next time we will have to do better.In the absence of anybody from the current leadership, there will be a vacuum,” said Kapenda.The 13 regions, which each had nominated two candidates, could muster no more than two candidates in the top 60 positions on the list.