Africa-Press – Namibia. SWAPO parliamentarian and central committee member Tobie Aupindi says infighting within the ruling party ahead of its upcoming elective congress has reached toxic levels, as members jostle for positions and to be delegates to elect top leaders.
Aupindi was speaking at Rundu over the weekend, at the party’s Kavango East regional conference where he said Swapo will not embrace the politics of division, and that the so-called teams or factions must be totally and permanently destroyed.
“Infighting has weakened our party and has reached toxic levels. People are fighting for positions, just to be elected to come to this regional conference and eventually to go to the [Swapo] congress, but not to make any difference,” he said.
He also warned the candidates and supporters present that tribalism is a serious concern that will destroy the party in the Kavango East and the country at large.
He said candidates should not de-campaign others.
“Don’t talk about why people must not elect someone else, rather talk about what you can do for the people. Talk about yourself and your competency level,” said Aupindi.
“Some comrades here are discriminating against each other along tribal lines. Tribalism will not take you anywhere. Tribalism is one of the identified retrogressive tendencies and is prohibited by the Swapo constitution,” he said.
“You do not elect a leader because he or she is from your tribe, you elect a leader because that person is capable.”
He also strongly denounced the perception that there is a deliberate effort to exclude the youth from the top structures of the party.
“The party does not belong to us, it belongs to the youth. So, it is a party that must always be forward-looking and not backward-looking.
“In Namibia today, it is said the youth are the majority and in 2024, when we have our national elections, the youth will be a super majority,” he said.
The Kavango East Swapo conference re-elected Ottilie Shinduvi as regional coordinator and Bonifasius Kudumo as the new regional secretary for information and mobilisation.
It also elected Patrick Haingura as its new regional treasurer.
THEOFELUS DENIES SPYL DRIBBLING ATTEMPT
Meanwhile, deputy minister of information, communication and technology, Emma Theofelus, has denied that there were attempts over the weekend to force her into the mix as one of the Kavango West’s Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) delegates for the youth wing’s upcoming national congress.
“My district, where I serve as the secretary for information, mobilisation and publicity, elected me to be a delegate to next week’s SPYL congress at Ongwediva, where I plan to represent them fully,” she said yesterday.
“So, I am a delegate at next week’s congress through the Khomas region. Therefore, you are making statements and not necessarily asking questions, to which I have no answers.”
Pressed on why her name was initially on the list of candidates for the Kavango West SPYL conference that took place over the weekend, she said: “You are asking questions to which I have no answers to.”
The originally circulated list, seen by The Namibian, included Theofelus among the nominees for the SPYL national congress, but this list was reportedly changed amid an unfolding political storm over her candidacy.
Chairperson of the Kavango West Youth Forum Willem Kotokeni and member of the National Youth Council of Namibia has been accused of pushing Theofelus’ nomination.
Kotokeni said yesterday: “I’m not an amateur politician, I’m highly dedicated to the principles and regulations of the party, I don’t know what you are talking about.
“We have eight districts, each had seven delegates and 14 regional executive committee members. How in the world can what you are advancing be possible? The conference is done, we are packing our bags and heading to the congress next week.”
There was consternation on social media after Theofelus’ name allegedly emerged on a Kavango West SPYL candidate list at the region’s extraordinary conference that took place on Friday at Nkurenkuru.
Munkara Valentin Ndango, together with Kudumo Stefanus Marovu, Illeni Shilongo and Mukuve Agnes Nepemba, will represent the Kavango West at the upcoming SPYL national congress.
To be eligible and stand as a candidate, candidates should have served at least two terms at branch level, one full term at district or regional level, and should have been a member of the SPYL for at least five years.
All 14 regions in the country are expected to send four candidates to contest for the SPYL CC at the upcoming 7th Congress of the SPYL from 17 to 20 August at Ongwediva.
“We do not understand why Theofelus, who allegedly got her SPYL membership this year (2022), could not get nominated by her own region and or district if she is a member of SPYL in good standing,” commented some youth members in the Kavango West region.
Several Swapo members have been accused of pushing their way into the elective congress or through structures without meeting the requirements.
Last month, the minister of mines and energy, Tom Alweendo, withdrew from the Khomas region’s Swapo Party Elders’ Council elections, where he wanted to contest for the council’s treasurer position.
AMUKWIYU RE-ELECTED AT OSHIKOTO
Meanwhile, long-serving Swapo regional coordinator for the Oshikoto region Armas Amukwiyu has been re-elected to the position.
Amukwiyu garnered 68 votes against his challenger Andreas Ntinda’s 21 votes to be re-elected at the Oshikoto regional conference on Saturday night at Omuthiya.
Asked about his interest in contesting for the Swapo secretary general position, he said he “those allegations do not hold any water.”
However, he refused to comment on whether he would accept a nomination, saying he had not thought about it “but I am not desperate”.
Andreas Shipa was elected as Oshikoto regional treasurer. The regional conference also elected Saara Ndahepuluka Shikokola as new regional secretary of information.
Shikokola got 42 votes while Hendrina Nzwala and Aina Shilongo, who challenged for the position, got 25 and 22 votes respectively.
KHOMAS RETAINS MBAKO, NAMUNDJEBO-TILAHUN
Khomas region coordinator Elliot Mbako and treasurer Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun have retained their positions.
Meriam Onesmus-Amathila, who served as Khomas regional secretary for information since 2017, lost to City of Windhoek councillor Queen Kamati.
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