Africa-Press – Namibia. SWAPO veteran Jerry Ekandjo says the national flag belongs to Swapo and any opposition party running with it in the streets should know that it is using a Swapo flag.
“They should know that they are playing with the Swapo flag. We are the founders of that flag,” he said, referring to the national flag.
It appears this jibe was directed at the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which uses the national flag during its election campaigns.
However, according to Ekandjo, only Swapo can claim the national flag. He said Swapo deliberately made the national flag like the Swapo flag because the ruling party was the majority in the Constituent Assembly in 1989.
“Anyone running in the streets with the national flag saying ‘it’s ours’, this is a Swapo flag, we created it. Kutya ongundu keni kopolitika taka longitha epandera ndi, ose tweleetapo [Any small political party using this flag should know we created this flag],” Ekandjo said in Oshikwambi.
Responding to Ekandjo’s statement, IPC president Panduleni Itula said: “It is most unlikely that IPC would seek to entertain reactionary fabrications unsubstantiated by fact and objectivity. Wish honourable Ekandjo good health.”
Ekandjo also took a swipe at opposition parties formed after breaking away from Swapo, including IPC, Congress of Democrats and the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP).
He said they were formed out of bitterness.
Ekandjo was speaking at Swapo’s 62nd anniversary celebration at Oshipumbu shomugongo in Oshana region on Monday.
Calling RDP “Radopa”, Ekandjo said founding RDP president Hidipo Hamutenya formed the party after he was defeated by Hifikepunye Pohamba at the 2004 Swapo elective congress.
“He formed his party. Now Pohamba is no longer president [of Namibia] and Radopa has one seat in the National Assembly,” he said.
Ekandjo added: “ICU, [referring to IPC] is the same story. This one formed the ICU because he was defeated by Geingob in the elections… Itula was defeated in the election. I know these small parties formed when people are vengeful don’t last.
“A fly doesn’t stay in one place for long. These small parties come and go but Swapo will stay forever and ever. That must be clear. Swapo was not formed as a result of bitterness or vengeance, Swapo is not about a particular leader. Swapo does not exist because of Sam Nujoma, Pohamba or Hage Geingob. Swapo is the nation, a spirit created by God,” he said.
RDP leader Mike Kavekotora said Ekandjo is not telling the truth and he cannot say the reasons why RDP was formed because he was not part of those who formed the party in 2007.
Kavekotora said RDP was formed because the founders, at the time, realised that Swapo was self-serving and was perpetuating corruption.
“We said no, this is not why our heroes’ blood flowed. The blood didn’t flow for you to enrich yourself. Swapo has lost its vision and anyone who remains in Swapo does that for financial survival,” he added.
University of Namibia politics lecturer Phanuel Kaapama said the national flag was adopted and promulgated as a national symbol and it does not belong to Swapo or any other political party.
He added that no political party can claim the national flag.
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