Africa-Press – Namibia. SWAPO regional coordinator for the Oshikoto region Armas Amukwiyu says businessman James Hatuikulipi has bankrolled Swapo campaigns with more than N$5,2 million.
He says he did not know the money was allegedly stolen from a state-owned fishing company.
“A donation was given to us by a certain James Hatuikulipi. We said thank you. We did not know the money was stolen,” Amukwiyu said while addressing a party campaign at Omuthiya on Saturday.
Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa, however, contradicted Amukwiyu, saying people who have received money through the Fishrot fraud and corruption scandal have done so in their personal capacity.
The scandal involves deals worth around N$2 billion diverted from the government to, among others, bankroll president Hage Geingob’s political campaign.
Amukwiyu said Hatuikulipi’s donation was made through Swapo’s regional coordinators’ forum.
The Namibian has in the past reported that the forum was created to secure Geingob’s ruling party interests in the regions.
Hatuikulipi was the managing director of Investec Asset Management Namibia (now renamed Ninety One Asset Management Namibia).
He is currently in prison awaiting trial.
Amukwiyu on Saturday said Hatuikulipi made the donation as a private individual, and not as Fishcor’s board chairperson.
Amukwiyu, who will be contesting for the Swapo secretary general position in the upcoming Swapo congress, said: “Some people want to be like the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). They want to be investigators and want to find you guilty.”
He urged delegates to vote for him to unite the party.
The Namibian has in the past reported that a trail of payments from a bank account controlled by Amukwiyu reveals he benefited from N$5,2 million that was allegedly stolen from Fishcor.
Documents show the transactions started on 1 December 2015 when Fishcor transferred N$15 million from the state-owned company to Sisa Namandje Inc & Co.
Sisa Namandje Inc & Co then transferred N$5,2 million to the Gwashihwemwa Family Trust, controlled by Amukwiyu, and N$9,8 million to businessman Vaino Nghipondoka.
Two days later, on 4 December, Amukwiyu transferred N$3 million into his personal bank account.
Part of it was transferred to his investment account at the same bank.
The following seven days saw Amukwiyu withdraw cash.
On 4 December he withdrew N$100 000, on 5 December N$100 000, on 7 December N$100 000, on 8 December N$20 000, on 9 December N$500 000, on 15 December N$40 000, and on 16 December N$100 000.
It’s unclear what these funds were used for.
SHANINGWA POINTS FINGERS
Speaking at the same event, Shaningwa said Swapo did not receive any money through the Fishrot corruption scandal.
She said Swapo’s name was used as a conduit by those who benefited from the scandal.
Shaningwa said that none of the party’s 11 bank accounts show that money linked to Fishrot was deposited into the party’s bank accounts.
She added that Swapo’s financial records were audited by an international audit firm.
“No Fishrot cent was found to be in the accounts of the party. I was called by the ACC to clear Swapo’s name. If Swapo was a natural person, Swapo was supposed to go to the ACC and clear her name, and not Sophia Shaningwa,” she said.
“There is a difference between Swapo and those implicated. Those people who received the funds got them as individuals, and I chose to defend the party and not individuals, a decision which is causing me more enemies to this day,” Shaningwa said.
She admitted that the Fishrot scandal “brought the party to its knees, resulting in it losing 14 seats in the National Assembly and another 14 seats in the National Council”.
She said that Swapo does not condone corruption. “We only promote morals that are good,” she said.
According to Shaningwa, “teams and slates” from the 2017 party congress also contributed to the loss of seats in parliament, and about 29 local authorities, including Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
She said the factions, slate politics at the 2017 congress, and the emergence of former Swapo school lecturer Panduleni Itula as independent presidential candidate in 2019’s general elections have caused disunity in the party.
Shaningwa urged delegates to vote for her so that she could also see to the completion of the construction of the new party headquarters in Windhoek.
She said the construction of the N$700 million Swapo head office is funded by Swapo companies, not external funding.
Shaningwa said none of the candidates campaigning for the Swapo vice president, secretary general and deputy secretary general positions have received money from the party or government to help them fund their campaigns.
Also speaking at the event, vice presidential hopeful Pohamba Shifeta promised to fight corruption if elected.
“We need honest people who have the ability to do something, not those who want to feed their stomach. We need to act without fear or favour of prejudice. I will make sure I root out corruption,” he said.
Shifeta, who is currently the minister of environment, forestry and tourism, said he would not withdraw from the race for the position.
Incumbent Swapo vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah urged delegates, party members, supporters and sympathisers in attendance to pray for her so that she can prevail at the congress.
Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah says in the context of Amukwiyu’s confession, the logic conclusion is that denial is an attempt to protect the party’s image.
“Denial is not an effective strategy to manage a crisis. It’s short term, because eventually the truth will emerge and damage the party further,” he says.
He says he did not know the money was allegedly stolen from a state-owned fishing company.
“A donation was given to us by a certain James Hatuikulipi. We said thank you. We did not know the money was stolen,” Amukwiyu said while addressing a party campaign at Omuthiya on Saturday.
Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa, however, contradicted Amukwiyu, saying people who have received money through the Fishrot fraud and corruption scandal have done so in their personal capacity.
The scandal involves deals worth around N$2 billion diverted from the government to, among others, bankroll president Hage Geingob’s political campaign.
Amukwiyu said Hatuikulipi’s donation was made through Swapo’s regional coordinators’ forum.
The Namibian has in the past reported that the forum was created to secure Geingob’s ruling party interests in the regions.
Hatuikulipi was the managing director of Investec Asset Management Namibia (now renamed Ninety One Asset Management Namibia).
He is currently in prison awaiting trial.
Amukwiyu on Saturday said Hatuikulipi made the donation as a private individual, and not as Fishcor’s board chairperson.
Amukwiyu, who will be contesting for the Swapo secretary general position in the upcoming Swapo congress, said: “Some people want to be like the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). They want to be investigators and want to find you guilty.”
He urged delegates to vote for him to unite the party.
The Namibian has in the past reported that a trail of payments from a bank account controlled by Amukwiyu reveals he benefited from N$5,2 million that was allegedly stolen from Fishcor.
Documents show the transactions started on 1 December 2015 when Fishcor transferred N$15 million from the state-owned company to Sisa Namandje Inc & Co.
Sisa Namandje Inc & Co then transferred N$5,2 million to the Gwashihwemwa Family Trust, controlled by Amukwiyu, and N$9,8 million to businessman Vaino Nghipondoka.
Two days later, on 4 December, Amukwiyu transferred N$3 million into his personal bank account.
Part of it was transferred to his investment account at the same bank.
The following seven days saw Amukwiyu withdraw cash.
On 4 December he withdrew N$100 000, on 5 December N$100 000, on 7 December N$100 000, on 8 December N$20 000, on 9 December N$500 000, on 15 December N$40 000, and on 16 December N$100 000.
It’s unclear what these funds were used for.
SHANINGWA POINTS FINGERS
Speaking at the same event, Shaningwa said Swapo did not receive any money through the Fishrot corruption scandal.
She said Swapo’s name was used as a conduit by those who benefited from the scandal.
Shaningwa said that none of the party’s 11 bank accounts show that money linked to Fishrot was deposited into the party’s bank accounts.
She added that Swapo’s financial records were audited by an international audit firm.
“No Fishrot cent was found to be in the accounts of the party. I was called by the ACC to clear Swapo’s name. If Swapo was a natural person, Swapo was supposed to go to the ACC and clear her name, and not Sophia Shaningwa,” she said.
“There is a difference between Swapo and those implicated. Those people who received the funds got them as individuals, and I chose to defend the party and not individuals, a decision which is causing me more enemies to this day,” Shaningwa said.
She admitted that the Fishrot scandal “brought the party to its knees, resulting in it losing 14 seats in the National Assembly and another 14 seats in the National Council”.
She said that Swapo does not condone corruption. “We only promote morals that are good,” she said.
According to Shaningwa, “teams and slates” from the 2017 party congress also contributed to the loss of seats in parliament, and about 29 local authorities, including Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
She said the factions, slate politics at the 2017 congress, and the emergence of former Swapo school lecturer Panduleni Itula as independent presidential candidate in 2019’s general elections have caused disunity in the party.
Shaningwa urged delegates to vote for her so that she could also see to the completion of the construction of the new party headquarters in Windhoek.
She said the construction of the N$700 million Swapo head office is funded by Swapo companies, not external funding.
Shaningwa said none of the candidates campaigning for the Swapo vice president, secretary general and deputy secretary general positions have received money from the party or government to help them fund their campaigns.
Also speaking at the event, vice presidential hopeful Pohamba Shifeta promised to fight corruption if elected.
“We need honest people who have the ability to do something, not those who want to feed their stomach. We need to act without fear or favour of prejudice. I will make sure I root out corruption,” he said.
Shifeta, who is currently the minister of environment, forestry and tourism, said he would not withdraw from the race for the position.
Incumbent Swapo vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah urged delegates, party members, supporters and sympathisers in attendance to pray for her so that she can prevail at the congress.
Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah says in the context of Amukwiyu’s confession, the logic conclusion is that denial is an attempt to protect the party’s image.
“Denial is not an effective strategy to manage a crisis. It’s short term, because eventually the truth will emerge and damage the party further,” he says.
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