Africa-Press – Namibia. INDEPENDENT Patriots for Change (IPC) national chairperson Brian Black says Namibians should clap hands for party leader Panduleni Itula’s anti-corruption stance, instead of calling him a dictator.
Black said this in an interview with The Namibian on Monday.
He said those calling Itula a dictator are wrong because the opposition leader is “promoting the rule of law”.
“The people should clap hands and say here is this man . . . he is very clear in his anti-corruption stance and does not want to copy the status quo,” he said.
He said those accusing Itula of being a dictator should provide evidence in support of this.
“To just make a wild statement saying the man is a dictator is not fair because he, myself and the national general secretary meet every week to consult on important party issues,” he said.
Last week, Itula appointed Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes as IPC vice president during the party’s national council of Patriots gathering in Windhoek.
The appointment was met with criticism, with some suggesting Itula would remove Forbes from the position as he (Itula) has a history of preventing party leaders, such as City of Windhoek councillors, from attending council meetings.
Some party insiders say Itula did not consult anyone regarding Forbes’ appointment.
However, Black said he knew Forbes would be appointed as vice president of the party although he (Black) could not attend the event.
“I am calling patriots and supporters of IPC not to allow the enemies of the restoration of dignity of our people to divide us and split us like other parties such as the Congress of Democrats and Rally for Democracy and Progress,” he said.
Black said those who are criticising Forbes’ appointment do not understand the party’s constitution.
ITULA ‘FREE TO APPOINT’
Black, who is the IPC’s Windhoek East constituency councillor, said although the party’s constitution provides for the appointment of its vice president to be done in consultation with the national general secretary and national chairperson, the president can also make appointments without consulting them.
“The president has the power to appoint whoever he feels comfortable with in that position,” he said.
Black said the party’s enemies are panicking because of the progress it is making.
“Victory is so clear and too certain in front of us to allow the enemy to divide us.”
He said he sees nothing wrong with Itula appointing his deputy, saying it is the same as the president of the country appointing Cabinet ministers and a vice president at his or her discretion.
Black said the IPC’s constitution differs from that of the government.
“If something happens to the president, the vice president will not automatically take over, the party’s executive will still decide who takes over. Our constitution is written differently,” he said.
‘FORBES WAS VETTED’
Itula yesterday told The Namibian the process of selecting a vice president for the party started eight months ago.
He said preferred candidates were assigned several tasks, including appointments to foreign missions based in Namibia and to government entities.
Itula said Forbes’ speeches, including his body language during presentations, and crisis management and communication skills were also assessed.
“He was also tasked with all other patriots to study the IPC constitution and manifesto in December 2021, without knowing why. Patriot Trevino Forbes was not even aware until the moment such an appointment was publicly pronounced during the National Council for Patriots meeting. Evidently shocked, he grabbed a sweet,” Itula said.
Contacted for comment, Forbes promised to get back to The Namibian, but has not done so at the time of going to print.
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