Africa-Press – Namibia. POPULAR Democratic Movement (PDM) parliamentarian Vipuakuje Muharukua has declined to comment on whether he would challenge the incumbent leader of the official opposition, McHenry Venaani, at next year’s party elective
congress. Muharukua said speculation would impact the party’s performance at next year’s general election. “If it’s a designed plan to blame someone in 2024, then it’s to the detriment of all of us. I urge leaders and members to
desist from saying things in the media that are not true,” he said yesterday. This comes amid party insiders saying the move to replace Muharukua as PDM parliamentary chief whip this week
was an attempt by Venaani to weaken Muharukua, who wants to challenge him for the party’s president position. Former PDM parliamentarian Kazeongere Tjeundo believes the change of chief whip would not affect Muharukua’s
aspirations to contest for the position of party president. “The replacement was done according to the process they use at parliament. It will not affect his democratic right in any current or future elections. I don’t think so,” he said.
Tjeundo’s response follows speculation that Muharukua losing his position as chief whip would affect his party president aspirations. Earlier this month Muharukua endorsed Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) president Mike Kavekotora for the
position of Ovaherero Traditional Authority paramount chief. Kavekotora was, up against Venaani and academic Hoze Riruako. Venaani and Kavekotora lost to Riruako. At the time, Muharukua defended his support for Kavekotora, saying his
decision was neither political, nor personal. He claimed his support of Kavekotora is based on his genuineness and consistency. Venaani’s spokesperson, Roberto
Dirkse, this week said the replacement of Muharukua is unrelated to his position during the election of the paramount chief of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority.
Sources in the party claim Muharukua was not aware of the elective meeting for the chief whip position, and that he was caught off guard. Muharukua yesterday confirmed that he did not know there would be an election.
He also said he had not been voted out. On Tuesday, Dirkse said Elma Dienda stood unopposed for the position of chief whip, while Maximalliant Katjimune
won by 11 votes to four against Celeste Becker for the deputy chief whip position. “I am happy and have no issue with not being the whip, I mean what does it take from me?” Muharukua said.
“I have said what I really need to say. It’s not a big deal. I’m happy as an ordinary member of parliament,” he said.
In 2021, the PDM Youth League called off its elective congress after chaos erupted before discussions and elections could take place due to factionalism within the youth league.
There have been two factions – one backing Venaani to retain his position for a third term beyond 2024, and the other, purportedly wanting Muharukua to take the party’s reins in 2024.
PDM secretary general Manuel Ngaringombe at the time denied allegations that the PDM Youth League was divided. Muharukua served as the party’s deputy chief whip from 2015 to 2020. He was then appointed as party chief whip
from March 2020. However, in 2020, Venaani allegedly told the party’s parliamentary caucus that he (Muharukua) would only serve for two and half years.
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