Africa-Press – Namibia. SWAPO’S elective congress was rocked by chaos yesterday after concerns about the voting process, faulty ballot papers and shocking revelations by the ruling party’s secretary general, Sophia Shaningwa, that the elections could be rigged.
“The secretary general raised the point that it has come to their knowledge that there are people who are planning to state they need voting assistance so that their people go into the booth with them and vote on their behalf,” a source who attended the congress said yesterday.
Shaningwa was a key trump card at the 2017 Swapo congress for president Hage Geingob’s Harambee slate, but has now turned into a fierce rival.
To some delegates, yesterday’s congress proceedings were chaotic and out of control.
“Meeting ended in chaos. No clear direction about the way forward.,” a delegate told The Namibian yesterday around 18h00.
One of the major concerns is the lack of serial numbers for ballot papers for the vice president candidates, namely deputy prime minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, and minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta.
Indications yesterday were that Geingob’s camp was largely pushing for Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and Shifeta.
It was still unclear by yesterday which candidate would take over the Swapo throne.
The ruling party has largely campaigned along two tribal and regional lines.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s team is dominated by the Ohangwena region, while Kuugongelwa-Amadhila is backed by the Omusati region.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila’s team is also largely backed by former Team Swapo heavyweights, such as Oshikoto regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu, and former home affairs minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana.
CONCERNS
Geingob kicked off the voting process yesterday at around 19h00 after chaotic talks among congress delegates.
Despite a public show of unity, backroom discussions were allegedly dominated by chaos.
Another concern was the failure to verify the voters list, which was supposed to be displayed a day before the elections.
All these claims were made over the weekend in Windhoek where around 795 Swapo delegates met to elect their new leaders at the ruling party’s congress.
The congress started on Thursday, with the first three days being largely dominated by the registration of delegates, the official opening, and the tabling of accountability reports.
Chaos erupted over a failed attempt to prohibit officials accused of corruption from voting, the use of electronic voting machines, and concerns over other forms of foul play.
Some delegates yesterday predicted a deadlock may result in halting the elections, which were set to select Swapo’s presidential candidate for the 2024 national elections.
Shaningwa yesterday sounded the alarm, saying she heard a rumour that delegates are claiming to be partially blind so they can bring in assistance – a tactic which she said could lead to vote rigging.
According to the election rules, certain delegates may be assisted in the voting booth as long as the assistant is not a delegate.
A decision was later taken yesterday that only members of the election committee would assist such voters.
STEP-ASIDE RULE
One of the topics allegedly discussed at the congress was the step-aside rule, which would require ruling party members charged with corruption or other serious crimes to voluntarily step aside from participation in party and government activities or face suspension.
Two delegates, The Namibian has been told, recommended the step-aside rule.
This was, however, rejected since it was framed to include everyone accused of corruption and not charged by the authorities.
The executive director of the ruling party, Austin Samupwa, yesterday denied allegations of vote rigging.
“There’s nothing like that,” he said.
Samupwa said they were busy preparing to start voting.
“The lists have been verified … the voting process will start now,” he said.
The Swapo congress secretariat verified the names of the 795 delegates who are set to vote for the party’s new leadership.
Swapo will elect a new vice president, secretary general, deputy secretary general, as well as a new central committee.
Elections were expected to start at 9h00 yesterday, but this was delayed.
The congress yesterday evaluated reports tabled by Shaningwa and Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
Delegates also evaluated the work of the central committee to consider, adopt, amend, or reject reports, including financial reports and recommendations.
GEINGOB’S PEP TALK
Speaking during the opening of congress on Friday, Geingob said Swapo has a history of taking a strong stance against corruption.
He said it is the Swapo-led government which set up the Anti-Corruption Commission as an empowered institution to lead the fight against corruption.
“Ministers are in jail and some may follow. I don’t know,” he said.
Geingob said where corruption rears its ugly head, Swapo takes action.
He said he dropped corruption-accused ministers from his Cabinet in 2019.
“By now you must have proof of those who benefited from that. I took action, I heard. I didn’t know everything. I took action,” the president said.
Geingob said it is not good to see one’s comrades being in jail.
He proposed that the justice system be revisited and accused the media of not reporting that he has been ranked as the third-best president in Africa.
Geingob said he donates N$60 000 of his salary every month to feed the poor.
He urged delegates to the congress to accept and support winning candidates.
“Whoever wins democratically . . . no cheating. If they cheat we will expose them. We have systems here,” Geingob said.
He implored party members to not believe what he called “prophets of doom” who are saying there is disunity within Swapo.
The president said when party leaders find themselves outside party structures it should not be interpreted as division and disunity.
“It is part of the democratic process, which we as members and sympathisers have agreed to entrench in the constitution of the Swapo party,” he said.
“The secretary general raised the point that it has come to their knowledge that there are people who are planning to state they need voting assistance so that their people go into the booth with them and vote on their behalf,” a source who attended the congress said yesterday.
Shaningwa was a key trump card at the 2017 Swapo congress for president Hage Geingob’s Harambee slate, but has now turned into a fierce rival.
To some delegates, yesterday’s congress proceedings were chaotic and out of control.
“Meeting ended in chaos. No clear direction about the way forward.,” a delegate told The Namibian yesterday around 18h00.
One of the major concerns is the lack of serial numbers for ballot papers for the vice president candidates, namely deputy prime minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, and minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta.
Indications yesterday were that Geingob’s camp was largely pushing for Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and Shifeta.
It was still unclear by yesterday which candidate would take over the Swapo throne.
The ruling party has largely campaigned along two tribal and regional lines.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s team is dominated by the Ohangwena region, while Kuugongelwa-Amadhila is backed by the Omusati region.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila’s team is also largely backed by former Team Swapo heavyweights, such as Oshikoto regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu, and former home affairs minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana.
CONCERNS
Geingob kicked off the voting process yesterday at around 19h00 after chaotic talks among congress delegates.
Despite a public show of unity, backroom discussions were allegedly dominated by chaos.
Another concern was the failure to verify the voters list, which was supposed to be displayed a day before the elections.
All these claims were made over the weekend in Windhoek where around 795 Swapo delegates met to elect their new leaders at the ruling party’s congress.
The congress started on Thursday, with the first three days being largely dominated by the registration of delegates, the official opening, and the tabling of accountability reports.
Chaos erupted over a failed attempt to prohibit officials accused of corruption from voting, the use of electronic voting machines, and concerns over other forms of foul play.
Some delegates yesterday predicted a deadlock may result in halting the elections, which were set to select Swapo’s presidential candidate for the 2024 national elections.
Shaningwa yesterday sounded the alarm, saying she heard a rumour that delegates are claiming to be partially blind so they can bring in assistance – a tactic which she said could lead to vote rigging.
According to the election rules, certain delegates may be assisted in the voting booth as long as the assistant is not a delegate.
A decision was later taken yesterday that only members of the election committee would assist such voters.
STEP-ASIDE RULE
One of the topics allegedly discussed at the congress was the step-aside rule, which would require ruling party members charged with corruption or other serious crimes to voluntarily step aside from participation in party and government activities or face suspension.
Two delegates, The Namibian has been told, recommended the step-aside rule.
This was, however, rejected since it was framed to include everyone accused of corruption and not charged by the authorities.
The executive director of the ruling party, Austin Samupwa, yesterday denied allegations of vote rigging.
“There’s nothing like that,” he said.
Samupwa said they were busy preparing to start voting.
“The lists have been verified … the voting process will start now,” he said.
The Swapo congress secretariat verified the names of the 795 delegates who are set to vote for the party’s new leadership.
Swapo will elect a new vice president, secretary general, deputy secretary general, as well as a new central committee.
Elections were expected to start at 9h00 yesterday, but this was delayed.
The congress yesterday evaluated reports tabled by Shaningwa and Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
Delegates also evaluated the work of the central committee to consider, adopt, amend, or reject reports, including financial reports and recommendations.
GEINGOB’S PEP TALK
Speaking during the opening of congress on Friday, Geingob said Swapo has a history of taking a strong stance against corruption.
He said it is the Swapo-led government which set up the Anti-Corruption Commission as an empowered institution to lead the fight against corruption.
“Ministers are in jail and some may follow. I don’t know,” he said.
Geingob said where corruption rears its ugly head, Swapo takes action.
He said he dropped corruption-accused ministers from his Cabinet in 2019.
“By now you must have proof of those who benefited from that. I took action, I heard. I didn’t know everything. I took action,” the president said.
Geingob said it is not good to see one’s comrades being in jail.
He proposed that the justice system be revisited and accused the media of not reporting that he has been ranked as the third-best president in Africa.
Geingob said he donates N$60 000 of his salary every month to feed the poor.
He urged delegates to the congress to accept and support winning candidates.
“Whoever wins democratically . . . no cheating. If they cheat we will expose them. We have systems here,” Geingob said.
He implored party members to not believe what he called “prophets of doom” who are saying there is disunity within Swapo.
The president said when party leaders find themselves outside party structures it should not be interpreted as division and disunity.
“It is part of the democratic process, which we as members and sympathisers have agreed to entrench in the constitution of the Swapo party,” he said.
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