Africa-Press – Namibia. Windhoek,March 6 – – Some SWAPO Party members have not yet come to terms as to how did the wind of change swept across the SWAPO party that all well known Harambee supporters were snubbed and never made it to Central Committee list in the new top leadership of Swapo women which elected Fransinah Kahungu and Maria Ntusi as Secretary and Deputy Secretary respectively.
The majority of women opposed President Hage Geingob and his Harambee team in 2017 were elected as members of Central Committee in the wing of the SWAPO party.
Some are accusing and pointing fingers on Advisor of women’s Congress Pendukeni Ithana as a master mind behind the results of the demise of Harambee supporters in women’s leadership of the ruling party while some are saying that this is the evidence that Harambee lost some of it’s supporters while others are demoralized as they feel left out into government positions.
Although the two groups Harambee and Team Swapo both declared to dissolve their factions after the 2017 Congress in the name of unity, the reality is that the two factions remain divided.
Well-known critics of President Dr. Hage Geingob’s party leadership notched it to the top of the Central Committee (CC) as veterans Petrina Haingura and Pendukeni Ithana surprisingly occupied spots number 1 and 5 on the list.
Pendukeni during Women’s Congress was quoted by Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) television “cautioning men not to mingle in women’s affairs and she went further on praising the atmosphere the Congress.”
Speculations from those close to the running of the party affairs is that the results of Women’s Congress also prompted Secretary General of SWAPO Party to give directive on Wednesday,02 February 2022 to all regional coordinator of SWAPO Party not create any new branches apparently because in fear of disputes during election.
In a letter Sophia Shaningwa also created new procedures that before creating a new branches coordinators should first request permission from the office of the Secretary General and an approval should be granted by the office of the Secretary General in writing.
Some members who expressed themselves regarding this directive called news intimidation and visible fear of loosing power,however the supporter who spoke on condition of anonymous because of fear of political victimization dismissed the win of team Swapo at SPWC as has no major impact in the party saying the women remains a wing it can’t decide on behalf of all members. Both Shaningwa and Pendukeni couldn’t reach for comments as their phones ringed unanswered.
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