‘Watershed’ congress for Swapo women

THE Swapo Women’s Council says its upcoming congress will be a watershed one that will determine how the other wings in the party conduct themselves in the run-up to next year’s party congress.

The Central Committee meeting of the Swapo Women’s Council met on Saturday to finalise the agenda for the congress that will take place during the weekend of December 8 in Rundu. The Secretary of the Women’s Council, Eunice Iipinge, said the congress would centre on unity in the party.”If our congress shows a bad example on unity in the Swapo Party Women’s Council, all others will follow the same route.As mothers, we must set a good example,” she said.Unity has been a hot issue in the party since the party’s last presidential nomination race, which was won by President Hifikepunye Pohamba.Ipinge said Swapo needed a unity that was “real, deep and enduring”.”We cannot afford to simply paper over the cracks, or present a united face at election time.We need to be united in our vision, our policies, our programmes, our discipline, and in our actions,” Ipinge told members of the central committee.She said unity could not be imposed on members of the party but must be built through an internal political culture that fosters and encourages disciplined debate and democratic decision-making.”It needs to be built by actively working to ensure that personal interests do not cloud political priorities.We were elected to represent the interest of Swapo, not our own interest,” she said.Ipinge also spoke about the women’s push for 50 per cent representation in the party’s top decision-making bodies and in the National Assembly.A resolution was passed at the 2002 congress to increase the proportion of women delegates to the party’s congress up to 50 per cent.”It is a resolution of the party and it must be implemented,” Ipinge said.She said the 50 per cent representation would be taken to other levels such as the Government and the private sector.”We need to move with the necessary speed to ensure that the totality of Government does not merely pay lip service to gender equality.This applies both to political institutions as well as the public service, so that the leadership in these structures become, in reality, appropriately representative,” she said.She accused the male colleagues of teaming up to exclude women from certain positions.”We should work closely with our compatriots in business, so that together we can move away from the old boys’ club mentality that results in the exclusion of women from positions in top and senior management, and give the women of this country the opportunity to utilise their God-given talents and expertise to drive our economy forward,” a fired-up Iipinge said.The meeting reviewed the Central Committee’s report that will be tabled at the congress and also looked at the draft plan of action that will guide the new leadership for the period 2007-2011.The Secretary of the Women’s Council, Eunice Iipinge, said the congress would centre on unity in the party.”If our congress shows a bad example on unity in the Swapo Party Women’s Council, all others will follow the same route.As mothers, we must set a good example,” she said.Unity has been a hot issue in the party since the party’s last presidential nomination race, which was won by President Hifikepunye Pohamba.Ipinge said Swapo needed a unity that was “real, deep and enduring”.”We cannot afford to simply paper over the cracks, or present a united face at election time.We need to be united in our vision, our policies, our programmes, our discipline, and in our actions,” Ipinge told members of the central committee.She said unity could not be imposed on members of the party but must be built through an internal political culture that fosters and encourages disciplined debate and democratic decision-making.”It needs to be built by actively working to ensure that personal interests do not cloud political priorities.We were elected to represent the interest of Swapo, not our own interest,” she said.Ipinge also spoke about the women’s push for 50 per cent representation in the party’s top decision-making bodies and in the National Assembly.A resolution was passed at the 2002 congress to increase the proportion of women delegates to the party’s congress up to 50 per cent.”It is a resolution of the party and it must be implemented,” Ipinge said.She said the 50 per cent representation would be taken to other levels such as the Government and the private sector.”We need to move with the necessary speed to ensure that the totality of Government does not merely pay lip service to gender equality.This applies both to political institutions as well as the public service, so that the leadership in these structures become, in reality, appropriately representative,” she said.She accused the male colleagues of teaming up to exclude women from certain positions.”We should work closely with our compatriots in business, so that together we can move away from the old boys’ club mentality that results in the exclusion of women from positions in top and senior management, and give the women of this country the opportunity to utilise their God-given talents and expertise to drive our economy forward,” a fired-up Iipinge said.The meeting reviewed the Central Committee’s report that will be tabled at the congress and also looked at the draft plan of action that will guide the new leadership for the period 2007-2011.