Africa-Press – Namibia.
Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani and his protégé former lawmaker Maximilliant Katjimuine are divided in their diagnosis of the root causes of the recent resignations within the party.
Venaani believes that those quitting are doing so for selfish reasons as they no longer occupy prominent roles and benefit financially or otherwise.
However, Katjimune argues that the party needs to introspect and self-correct, as harbingers were there since 2019 that this day of reckoning would come.
In essence, he dismissed Venaani’s assertion that the latest wave of resignations from the movement is nothing more than “politics of the belly”.
Yesterday, former PDM parliamentarian and shadow minister of education Charmaine Tjirare quit the party.
Her departure follows the exit of her former colleague in the National Assembly, Yvette Araes, Esmeralda! Aebes, Vakamuina Kamutuezu and Shonena Nathaniel, who relinquished their PDM memberships last week.
Seemingly responding and pouring cold water over their departures, Venaani branded it “politics of the belly” on his social media platform.
“When I eat, the party is good. When the food is finished, the party is bad. Where are the principles?” Venaani wrote on his WhatsApp status yesterday.
Introspection
However, diametrically opposed to Venaani is Katjimune, who, in a strongly worded statement, warned that the PDM has reached a “critical juncture” in its history.
He cautioned that, unless the party reflects and corrects course, it risks sliding into further obscurity.
“The operational nature of the PDM over the years was inevitably going to lead to the prevailing status quo. A party run through lawlessness and without strategy is not sustainable. We need to fix it,” Katjimuine said.
Insiders say Katjimune’s comments have caused a stir within the party, as it is unheard of for senior PDM leaders to speak truth to power – let alone publicly.
Mistakes
Katjimuine pointed to several issues that, in his view, have steadily eroded the PDM’s credibility and strength.
Among them is the party’s failure to acknowledge the “Itula effect” in previous presidential and national assembly elections.
He argued that the party misread the outcome of the 2019 elections, wrongly believing its 16 parliamentary seats were the product of its own growing popularity.
He said much of that support was tied to the surge of then-independent presidential candidate Panduleni Itula.
“We pretended for five years as if the 16 seats were fundamentally derived from our own votes, but this was a critical error of analysis. We paid heavily for it,” Katjimuine stressed.
Another assumed contribution fact is the lawlessness and the parliamentary list saga.
Katjimuine described the long-running court battles over the party’s parliamentary list as an “unmitigated disaster” that severely damaged PDM’s image and exposed internal lawlessness.
“The PDM simply does not follow the law, including its own constitution. Rules are disregarded and tossed aside in order to suit certain agendas. It operates on the Rule of Men, not the Rule of Law,” he charged.
Ideological confusion
Katjimuine said his party lacks strategy and ideological consistency.
He asserted that the movement has drifted into “bandwagon politics”, frequently adopting popular trends without anchoring them in PDM’s ideological foundations.
“This is indicative of a party suffering from an identity crisis, one that does not believe in its own programme of action,” he warned.
Katjimuine called for fresh leadership at the top, though he avoided calling out names.
He argued that some senior figures within the Top 9 no longer inspire confidence.
“Some people simply do not inspire confidence anymore and must step aside to bring in a fresh breed of leaders who will steer the Movement in a different direction,” he said.
Unfazed
In the face of departures, however, PDM secretary general Manuel Ngarigombe remained unshaken, insisting the movement remains focused and resilient.
“The PDM has noted the recent resignations of a few members from our ranks. While we respect their personal decisions, the party remains strong, united and focused on its mandate of advancing democracy, justice and development for all Namibians,” he said.
He described resignations as a natural part of any democratic organisation, stressing that they do not weaken the PDM’s vision or capacity to serve.
“No individual resignation will derail our momentum as we prepare for the upcoming elections.
The PDM continues to grow in strength, anchored by thousands of committed members across all regions of our country,” he maintained.
However, like Venaani, Ngarigombe accused some members of acting out of self-interest.
“It is very nefarious for some members to resign after losing their jobs. Such actions speak to ‘politics of the belly’ as opposed to real, principled politics rooted in service to the people.
The PDM was built on ideals of conviction, not convenience,” he said.
Ngarigombe assured members that the party remains open to dialogue.
“Our doors are always open to engage, discuss and resolve concerns in the spirit of unity and progress,” he said.
Analysis
Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah was sceptical of the motives behind the resignations, calling them opportunistic.
“How come they did not leave when the party was the second largest in the country? I think those leaving are political fortune seekers,” he said.
“Stay, no matter the odds, and help build or rebuild the party,” he stated.
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