Africa-Press – Namibia. DISGRUNTLED Swapo members and supporters in the Kavango East region demonstrated on Tuesday, demanding the suspension of regional coordinator Otilie Shinduvi and governor Bonifasius Wakudumo.
The group is accusing Shinduvi and Wakudumo of defying Swapo party directives, failing to call joint meetings with the regional and local authority’s Swapo councillors, failing to fill important positions at both regional and district level, and failing to solve problems in party districts, and of interfering in lower party structures.
Mashare district executive committee member Marcelline Kahare, who read the demonstrators’ petition, said it would be unfair to sit idle while Shinduvi and Wakudumo continue to violate Swapo’s constitution, its code of ethics and conduct, as well as the party’s rules and procedures.
Kahare said the party believes the exploitation of one person by another is unacceptable in an independent and democratic Namibia.
“We will not allow any violation of the above provisions or any other laws enshrined in our party’s constitution by any person including the Shinduvis and the Wakudumos of this world, while we’re watching,” she said.
Kahare said they have lost confidence in Swapo’s current regional coordinator and regional mobiliser.
“These two comrades are continuously causing Swapo in the Kavango-East region and Namibia as a whole irreparable harm and great reputational damage, when they are making themselves guilty of the mismanagement of party funds and party property,” she said.
“[They] have failed to implement the developmental programme in Mashare constituency, but instead, politicised and escalated the matter into a political fire to dismiss the Swapo party assigned regional councillor without realising it is suicidal to the party,” Kahare said.
Kahare said the regional executive committee (REC) passed a motion of no confidence in 2020 to remove Shinduvi from the position of regional coordinator.
She said nothing has come of the motion, despite it being two years since it was passed.
“We … strongly demand the vote of no confidence which was passed by the regional executive committee to be implemented with immediate effect, within 14 days, to avoid disunity and to protect our mighty Swapo party now and during the forthcoming presidential and National Assembly general elections slated for 2024/2025,” Kahare said in the urgent petition, which is addressed to Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa.
The petition was received by John Hambyuka, the deputy chairperson of Swapo leaders assigned to the Kavango East region and member of parliament.
Neither Wakudumo nor Shaningwa were reachable for comment yesterday.
Shinduvi yesterday said: “It’s not about me. It’s the structure that has to respond … The regional executive committee will respond soon, and I will respond after the meeting of the REC.”
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