{"id":29008,"date":"2022-09-02T17:05:45","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T17:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives"},"modified":"2022-09-02T17:16:48","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T17:16:48","slug":"inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Swapo SG race\u2026 \u2018engine room\u2019 battle gets veterans and pundits\u2019 perspectives"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Namibia. <\/strong><\/span>For the ruling party to reclaim its glory days, its next secretary general must be energetic, upright, intimately understand Swapo and be able to transcend beyond petty party politics in the interest of the country.<\/p>\n

This view was put forth by several Swapo veterans and local pundits when asked about the coveted positions at the upcoming intra-party congress as contenders are sifted.<\/p>\n

Next Monday, candidates for the position of party vice president, secretary general and deputy SG will be nominated at a politburo meeting.<\/p>\n

Five days later, nomination opportunities will also be opened at a central committee meeting.<\/p>\n

In most other political formations, the SG is one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful politician.<\/p>\n

In Swapo\u2019s corridors, it is informally referred to as the \u201cengine room\u201d.<\/p>\n

Apart from lucrative perks and a seat at the high table, the position comes with immense political power.<\/p>\n

The SG presides over a multi-billion-dollar business empire, has a seat in Cabinet [as the direct link between Swapo and government], a spot in the National Assembly, and commands a huge support base.<\/p>\n

This week, New Era spoke to commentators and senior figures of the party to gauge perspectives on the ideal candidates for the post in the face of Swapo\u2019s waning support during successive polls.<\/p>\n

Redemption<\/p>\n

Veteran journalist Tileni Mongudhi said Swapo\u2019s first step towards redemption and identifying a suitable SG is to accept that its popularity among the electorate has dropped.<\/p>\n

He attributed this to the breakaway parties [Independent Patriots for Change and Landless People\u2019s Movement], the Fishrot scandal, internal factions and Panduleni Itula\u2019s bid for presidency in 2019 while still a Swapo card-carrying member.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a perception that the ruling party is corrupt and incapable of bringing about change or reinvent itself,\u201d Mongudhi said, while noting that blame cannot be squarely placed on incumbent SG Sophia Shaningwa.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new SG must be able to command legitimacy among the electorate. He or she must be able to sit with Cabinet colleagues and demand service delivery. You need an SG who can read and understand policies, and bring the link between the ruling party\u2019s manifesto \u2013 which the ruling party promised the masses \u2013 to what government is delivering.\u201d<\/p>\n

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah concurred.<\/p>\n

He, however, went a step further, calling for the next Swapo top administrator to be inclusive and reflective of the core values of the party.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SG must manage diversity, and make sure governance or government mirrors that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Appointments to key government positions such as the police, ambassadorial postings and ministerial roles should reflect the country\u2019s diverse ethnic composition, he added.<\/p>\n

Also, the SG must be a mixture of a shrewd politician, who can pull the masses back to Swapo, while simultaneously a firm administrator or technocrat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SG must be a listener. Someone who is not arrogant, and who stretches imagination beyond party lines. He or she must accommodate opposition parties and discerning voices with an understanding that their voices matter in nation-building,\u201d Kamwanyah reasoned.<\/p>\n

No magic<\/p>\n

Swapo\u2019s chief administrator between 2012 and 2017 and current national Vice President Nangolo Mbumba said there is no blueprint for an ideal SG.<\/p>\n

The onus rests on the over 700 delegates to decide.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose who want to jump into the ring, let them jump, and then we will see which one is supported by the majority of the delegates. What you are trying to fish, there is no magic about it in terms of the practical work to be done,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

Mbumba then declined to pass judgement on his successor\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the congress, the politician is impressed by the manner in which proceedings were executed. Credit in this regard goes to Shaningwa.<\/p>\n

The former SG hastened to say whoever emerges as the successful candidate beyond 27 November, must have an intimate understanding of Swapo, the ability to bridge the generational gap, and advance women\u2019s issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey must know the history of this party. They must have experience of working with people. We want people who can recognise gender issues, and deal with them. We want people who can recognise the youth element, which is the larger number of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Mbumba\u2019s tenure is wrapped in an enigma, he declined to delve into it, rather promising to write a book about it to avoid influencing the delegates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want people to come with open minds, energy and willingness to serve all Namibians,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Contenders<\/p>\n

Several names have been paraded around as potential candidates for the SG gong.<\/p>\n

As incumbent, Shaningwa does not need a nomination to contest. Whether or not she contests is up to her.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Swapo\u2019s Oshikoto coordinator Armas Amukwiyu, who competed and lost against Shaningwa, is reported to have shown interest in trying again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure about those discussions. If they do exist, they are happening beyond my knowledge,\u201d he said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Former SG Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana and ex-Cabinet minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa have all shown interest to return to the national political stage.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, former deputy secretary general Laura McLeod Katjirua, parliamentarian Tobie Aupindi, works deputy minister Veikko Nekundi and former Swapo Party Youth League secretary Elijah Ngurare are seen as dark horses in the race for power.<\/p>\n

Both Aupindi and Ngurare did not respond to questions this week.<\/p>\n

Nekundi is believed to be a shrewd operator, who has always kept his opponents and even allies in the dark about his strategy.<\/p>\n

Attempts to get a comment from him proved futile.<\/p>\n

\u2018Open\u2019<\/p>\n

Hanse-Himarwa has openly declared interest in the position of deputy SG.<\/p>\n

In Swapo circles, she does not mince her words and is a known staunch supporter of Swapo\u2019s current leadership under President Hage Geingob.<\/p>\n

Until her fall from grace in 2019 when she was convicted of corruption, Hanse-Himarwa was one of Geingob\u2019s \u2018blue-eyed\u2019 comrades.<\/p>\n

In Swapo, it appears, that she still commands respect among her comrades.<\/p>\n

Quizzed about the type of administrator the party yearns for, she replied: \u201cI don\u2019t know. Let other people who are not in the contest speak.\u201d<\/p>\n

Khomas governor McLeod-Katjirua was also tight-lipped.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo comment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amendments<\/p>\n

Swapo stalwart Helmut Angula also lauded Shaningwa for doing an incredible job at steering the ship under \u201cdire circumstances\u201d.<\/p>\n

In 2017, Angula unsuccessfully contested for the party\u2019s vice presidency.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe party is confronted by so many divisions and an inability to have a common convincing agenda to the population. It is not an ideal position that the person [Shaningwa] is in now,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Like Mbumba, he too agrees that a daunting task lies ahead for whoever ascends to the position.<\/p>\n

The new SG must \u201chave popular support. A person who is not committed to factionalism, and have the clout to unite the young, old and middle-aged. The SG must be energetic, and not a novice who is just coming to try. We need somebody who is known by the structures.\u201d<\/p>\n

It will, however, take a miracle for either Ngurare or Aupindi to come anywhere close to the contest in the face of the \u2018Helmut Amendments\u2019, alterations to the Swapo constitution dictating that those aspiring for top four positions must have consistently and persistently served in the central committee for 10 years.<\/p>\n

These rules are likely to be in force until congress.<\/p>\n

Angula is believed to be the amendment\u2019s godfather. \u201cWhen the amendments were made, nobody predicted that the most trusted and experienced cadres would be marginalised and cast aside,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

Now, four years later, the chickens have come home to roost.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the party leadership is guilty of culling its trusted cadres, then the leadership has itself to blame. We are just reaping our own fruits that we sowed unintentionally,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

Over 700 delegates will assemble in Windhoek on 24 November to decide the party\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

Geingob\u2019s position will not be contested.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Namibia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Namibia. For the ruling party to reclaim its glory days, its next secretary general must be energetic, upright, intimately understand Swapo and be able to transcend beyond petty party politics in the interest of the country. This view was put forth by several Swapo veterans and local pundits when asked about the coveted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":29007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,8,12,16],"tags":[234,236,233],"class_list":["post-29008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-homepage-english","category-policy","category-twitter","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-namibia","tag-namibia"],"yoast_head":"\nInside the Swapo SG race\u2026 \u2018engine room\u2019 battle gets veterans and pundits\u2019 perspectives - Namibia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For the ruling party to reclaim its glory days, its next secretary general must be energetic, upright, intimately unders ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inside the Swapo SG race\u2026 \u2018engine room\u2019 battle gets veterans and pundits\u2019 perspectives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For the ruling party to reclaim its glory days, its next secretary general must be energetic, upright, intimately unders ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Namibia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-09-02T17:05:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-09-02T17:16:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2022\/09\/postQueueImg_7-63123a63ecf48.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"479\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Inside the Swapo SG race\u2026 \u2018engine room\u2019 battle gets veterans and pundits\u2019 perspectives\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-02T17:05:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-09-02T17:16:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives\"},\"wordCount\":1330,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2022\/09\/postQueueImg_7-63123a63ecf48.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"africa press\",\"Africa Press-Namibia\",\"namibia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"homepage-english\",\"policy\",\"twitter\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/inside-the-swapo-sg-race-engine-room-battle-gets-veterans-and-pundits-perspectives\",\"name\":\"Inside the Swapo SG race\u2026 \u2018engine room\u2019 battle gets veterans and pundits\u2019 perspectives - 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