Africa-Press – Namibia. Some Swapo members have threatened to stop paying their monthly membership fees over the hand-picked appointments by president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Party sources say the protest comes from those in leadership roles who were left out of receiving parliamentary seats after last year’s electoral college, and the president’s appointment of the eight parliament members.
Sources within the party say this is not a widespread problem, but rather a specific issue among party leaders who were not given parliamentary seats by Nandi-Ndaitwah.
“When we are campaigning for parliamentary seats there is vetting criteria, but what is the point of going through all these processes when the appointer can just pick people from the streets and make them ministers or take them to parliament,” says one source.
A senior party official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirms the threats.
“We are trying to address the matter but it is disheartening what the leadership of the party is doing. Business people who have funded candidates are also arguing the same thing. Those are the things that discourage many of the comrades,” says the source.
The party official says they urge members not to despair and to await future developments.
Swapo deputy secretary general Uahekua Herunga has defended the practice, noting that presidents have always appointed technocrats to national government roles.
“I am not aware of such allegations. I am hearing this for the first time. And I am surprised to hear that. If there is any truth in such allegations, we all knew that the president’s eight appointees are actually taken from anywhere,” he says.
He says this happened with former presidents and recalls chief executives being appointed as part of the eight presidential appointees.
Herunga adds that he does not know why this is suddenly an issue when it has been a normal practice for many years now.
Walvis Bay Rural constituency district coordinator Patrick Bathromeus says he is also not aware of such members, but criticises those planning to do so as it divides the party.
“These are people who are in the party for personal gains and not for the party. Swapo is not for those looking for positions but for those willing to serve the party and the people for a better livelihood.”
He says the appointments in question are not of the party’s structure but that of a national level, hence such arguments are unfounded.
Last week, Nandi-Ndaitwah clarified that her appointees do not need to come from the party, a practice she said was also done by former presidents.
She rebuked the institutional division from those who wish to see her eighth administration fail, adding that it will continue to grow strong.
Meanwhile, Kavango West regional coordinator Elina Magano also refutes such allegations, stating that she has not received any reports of party members threatening not to pay their membership fees.
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