Africa-Press – Namibia. SWAPO secretary general Sophia Shaningwa has warned those outside the party not to stick their nose into its internal matters.
This comes after the recent call to invalidate the endorsement of the current secretary general of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) Ephraim Nekongo and his deputy Christine Haindaka-Sikongo as sole candidates for their positions.
Shaningwa told The Namibian yesterday that these are party internal matters. “Why do you stick your nose into things that have nothing to do with you?” she asked.
A member of the SPYL central committee, Timotheus Angala, wrote to Shaningwa claiming that some in the youth league are concerned with the endorsement and its processes, saying it is unconstitutional and denying them the right to choose their leaders.
However, Shaningwa denied seeing the letter although her office acknowledged receiving it.
“The endorsement done by the central committee on 30 April 2022 makes the process of renewal of mandate irrelevant…,” Angala said in the letter, adding that the notion of sole candidacy was imposed on the central committee members.
Two weeks ago, the SPYL held a central committee meeting where Nekongo and Haindaka were endorsed.
Angala argued that regional secretaries cannot exclusively decide on the nominations of national office-bearers without seeking the consent of the regional leadership at the level of the regional executive committee at a well constituted regional conference.
He believes that sole candidacy has brought the party into disrepute, leaving members questioning whether the process of contesting for positions in the SPYL is democratic.
“It is causing political apathy in the young leaders at lower structures of SPYL,” he added.
Angala wants the regions to be allowed to conclude the process of the renewal of mandates and to nominate their candidates.
“Only then can the central committee of SPYL meet to consider nominations by the national executive committee, the regions and any other nomination,” he suggested.
POWER SCRAMBLE
The recent removal of Kunene region governor Marius Sheya from a Swapo Party Youth League leadership position has been linked to an ongoing scramble for power within the ruling party’s youth wing.
The Namibian recently reported that this development was considered by party insiders as a sign that youth leaders who supported president Hage Geingob are now at each other’s throats, weakening SPYL secretary Ephraim Nekongo’s power as he enters a critical congress year.
Sheya, who served as the youth wing’s economics secretary, has for years been tipped as a potential candidate to replace Nekongo.
Efforts to reach Nekongo proved futile, as calls were not answered.
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanya said Angala’s sentiment was expected because it speaks to the divisions within the party, including its wings.
“They should have tried their best to put in democratic processes. It robs opportunities for those within the party with ambitions to run. The wise move would have been to defeat all those with ambitions. They should open themselves to competition,” he reasoned.
Kamwanya said the sole candidacy is giving the wrong impression, which will have implications for Swapo and its congress later this year.
“The camps are still there and haven’t been addressed. There are lines that are trying to emerge and are deeply rooted in the main body. It was an oversight to push for the uncontested approach,” he argues.
He believes this makes the youth league unattractive for young people.
“The hope is that the divisive politics within the party is gone. People are looking for unification from the two camps. This could make the young people turn away from the youth league,” he added.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
