Africa-Press – Namibia. The ongoing renewal of mandates in Tsumkwe, spearheaded by Swapo Regional Coordinator (RC) Immanuel Namaseb, has divided party cadres in the Otjozondjupa region.
Disgruntled members have voiced concerns over an alleged process taking place without proper or advanced communication for them to prepare for the elections.
Amongst the concerned members of Swapo is /Ui Tshao Bakerai from the Tsumkwe Settlement office, who said leaders are being imposed on them.
“This is not the Swapo we believe in. I urge our top leadership to intervene in this matter. We don’t trust regional coordinator Namaseb because he has that tendency of undermining us, the San, but we are awake now,” he said.
Bakerai questioned the absence of the party-assigned leader to the area, Royal Ui/o/oo.
“He must be part of this process. Why is he not present?” he asked.
Sharing the same complaints was Wanda Kamutati, Swapo’s women’s representative from Gam Centre.
He accused Namaseb of pushing his agenda.
“They want to hold onto power and sideline the rest of us. We are deeply concerned about how our voices continue to be ignored. We at least need a month-earlier notice on the matter,” she said.
Kamutati said most of their eligible members for the voting process are out on farms, in the bush or across borders, trying to make ends meet.
“You can not just arrive in two days and expect fair participation. This is not democracy. It’s exclusion,” she added.
She called on Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa to intervene.
“We no longer trust the current regional and district coordinators, as they have betrayed us for too long. We want a process that is fair, open and inclusive to enable Tsumkwe people to select their own leaders and revive Swapo with truth and unity,” Kamutati said.
Katrina Haufiku, acting swapo coordinator and branch mobiliser for Omatako Valley, registered her disappointment.
“It was not clear. This is not democracy. It’s a setup. Most of my people were not informed. Our youth are on farms – some far in the bush. Yet, decisions are rushed like we don’t matter,” Haufiku said.
She added that they raised the same issue last year in Otjiwarongo about the unfair processes, rushed decisions and exclusion.
But still, the regional and district coordinators are continuing with the same pattern.
“I am not happy, and I don’t support what they are doing. If you check most branches, they are composed of councillors’ wives and close family members holding positions.
“It’s getting worse, and we are requesting a neutral team to come restructure fairly. We are tired of being excluded, fooled and marginalised by these coordinators simply because we are from a vulnerable community,” said Haufiku.
Swapo activist Johanna Katembo from Grashoek village blamed the regional leadership for not informing the people in advance, considering the conditions of people who are spread.
“Our situation is known. We are hunter-gatherers. This is a time to harvest some wild foods. The renewal of mandates should be given enough time,” she said.
Tsumkwe constituency’s Swapo youth activist Ausie Babkie from Omatako joined the concerned members and boycotted the current restructuring process.
“If this is allowed to continue, it will have a negative impact on the upcoming November elections. We, the Swapo youth in Tsumkwe, deserve to be heard just like any other youth in the country,” Babkie said.
Response
Contacted for comment, Ui/o/oo said they previously held a meeting in Otjiwarongo, where they addressed these very issues.
“I am stating this with a heavy heart. As a leader assigned to the Tsumkwe constituency, I was not informed that branch mandates were being revived this week. The members are not happy – and truthfully, I am not happy either,” he stated.
He added: “It is not a secret that the team sidelining me today supported a different group while I stood firmly behind our current President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Since then, I have seen the consequences of being excluded from decisions and activities in the constituency I am assigned to serve”.
“This is unfair, and breeds division. Our people, many of whom are in the bush, collecting firewood, digging for devil’s claw or working on farms, are simply not informed in time to participate. Telling them on the same day that the revival is happening is undemocratic,” he said.
In his response Namaseb dismissed the allegations from the complainants, labelling them as total lies.
“I didn’t influence or interfere with the revival work. I worked with the district coordinator and mobiliser, and only provided logistical support for the processes to run smoothly,” he said.
He said the restructuring programme was done by the district leaders.
It is in his mandate to go and oversee the work of Swapo in Tsumkwe.
“I, as an RC, don’t report to the assigned leader, Honourable Kxao [Ui/o/oo]. He is the one reporting to me. The renewal of mandates was accepted by the district executive. People must learn to tell the truth,” Namaseb said.
He said 70% of the branches completed their restructuring process – only three are left.
“These three are the ones influenced by Honourable Kxao,” he said.
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