Africa-Press – Namibia. <\/strong><\/span>Like him or hate him, Joseph Kauandenge has cemented himself as an omnipresent figure in contemporary Namibian politics. He is not going anywhere anytime soon, either.<\/p>\nHe surprised the nation on Monday by unveiling the Association for Localised Interests (Asoli), weeks after denying any ties to it.<\/p>\n
It is a newly-registered political movement, which he said aims at transforming urban governance.<\/p>\n
Just less than two months after vacating his seat in the National Assembly and two weeks post his resignation as National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) secretary general (SG), Kauandenge has now fired back at critics who accused him of political opportunism, following the surprise launch of a new political association.<\/p>\n
He is adamant that he will remain an ordinary member of Nudo.<\/p>\n
In an exclusive interview with New Era yesterday, he dismissed accusations of being a political \u201chopper\u201d or opportunist, defending his decision to form the new association.<\/p>\n
In the past, Kauandenge formed the People\u2019s Democratic Movement (PDM), which made only a cameo appearance in the local political theatre.<\/p>\n
He once also joined forces in 2013 with the National Democratic Party\u2019s Martin Lukato Lukato. That wedding did not last long.<\/p>\n
Soon, Kauandenge would return to Nudo, on whose ticket he served as a Windhoek municipal councillor between 2015 and 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, how does someone who is called a political prostitute and supposedly not to be taken seriously manage to rally so many people behind him, even to the point of registering an association?\u201d Kauandenge wanted to know.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t just wake up and register a political organisation; you need a support base. Those who follow me, by that same logic, must also be political prostitutes or party hoppers, or whatever labels people want to use. So be it. Let those who sit comfortably in their corner continue doing that. We\u2019ll do our thing here,\u201d he maintained.<\/p>\n
Despite founding Asoli, which is expected to contest against Nudo and other formations during this year\u2019s Local Authorities\u2019 elections, particularly in Windhoek, Kauandenge insists he is still a bona fide Nudo member, \u201cunless they fire me\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, I\u2019m still a member of Nudo. People ask how one can belong to a party and start an association. I challenge anyone to show me where in the Nudo constitution it says I can\u2019t start an association. I\u2019ve read it thoroughly. It only prohibits dual membership in another party, not association. If they want to fire me, let them. But I\u2019m not resigning,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Journey<\/b><\/p>\n
Kauandenge needs no introduction in the Namibian political arena.<\/p>\n
His roots date back to 1989, when he joined the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (now the Popular Democratic Movement) as a student activist.<\/p>\n
He remained with the party until 2003, before joining Nudo under the leadership of late Chief Kuaima Riruako. There, he rose to the position of secretary general.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2004, I was unceremoniously removed from my position by party leaders who acted unlawfully. I stepped away to focus on music and academics,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
However, in 2014, Nudo called him back to help revive the party. He was re-elected SG at the watershed 2019 congress, after the initial congress fell flat a year earlier.<\/p>\n
In 2019, he was elected to the National Assembly, where he served until March this year, alongside party leader Utjiua Muinjangue.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring my tenure as SG, I stabilised the party and expanded its appeal across tribal lines. I believe Nudo should be a party for all Namibians. And I brought that mindset into the party,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Parliament, I believe I performed exceptionally well. I was one of the few who could stand up and speak without relying on a prepared speech,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
However, internal party politics remained a challenge within Nudo.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraditional chiefs hold too much sway. If they oppose something, even if the party leadership agrees on it, it simply won\u2019t happen. Last year\u2019s constant infighting, which cost us a seat in Parliament, was due in large part to that influence,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
Vision<\/b><\/p>\n
Kauandenge and his yellow Asoli army have big dreams.<\/p>\n
They will contest the upcoming local authorities\u2019 elections in November, focusing on Windhoek.<\/p>\n
\u201cWindhoek is our launchpad. Urban residents are suffering due to poor governance and political infighting. The council is dysfunctional; both ruling and opposition parties are more focused on politics than the people. Asoli wants to change that,\u201d Kauandenge said.<\/p>\n
The movement will advocate for improved housing, better access to water and electricity, and a comprehensive reform of the urban development policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThousands live in shacks, and the numbers keep rising. We need urgent reform, especially on land allocation, informal settlements and housing. Asoli will offer practical solutions, not just empty promises,\u201d he pledged.<\/p>\n
The politician emphasised that Asoli is inclusive and open to Namibians from all political backgrounds who seek real change at the grassroots\u2019 level. The initiative, he said, is self-funded, with early operations financed from his personal savings.<\/p>\n
Reforms<\/b><\/p>\n
He also criticised the centralised structure of government, saying it undermines local governance.<\/p>\n
\u201cLocal authorities are critical for service delivery, but they\u2019re systematically sidelined. National government tightly controls resources, rendering councils powerless. Decentralisation isn\u2019t just a talking point; it\u2019s a necessity if we want real development,\u201d Kauandenge stressed.<\/p>\n
Source: neweralive<\/b><\/p>\n
For More News And Analysis About Namibia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lahja Nashuuta Africa-Press – Namibia. Like him or hate him, Joseph Kauandenge has cemented himself as an omnipresent figure in contemporary Namibian politics. He is not going anywhere anytime soon, either. He surprised the nation on Monday by unveiling the Association for Localised Interests (Asoli), weeks after denying any ties to it. It is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":87222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[233],"class_list":["post-87223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","tag-namibia"],"yoast_head":"\n
\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge - Namibia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Like him or hate him, Joseph Kauandenge has cemented himself as an omnipresent figure in contemporary Namibian politics. ...\" \/>\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\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Like him or hate him, Joseph Kauandenge has cemented himself as an omnipresent figure in contemporary Namibian politics. ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge\" \/>\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=\"2025-05-08T12:34:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-08T13:01:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2025\/05\/sm_1746696363.418535.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1556\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1110\" \/>\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=\"5 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\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-08T12:34:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-08T13:01:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge\"},\"wordCount\":892,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2025\/05\/sm_1746696363.418535.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"namibia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"files\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge\",\"name\":\"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge - Namibia\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2025\/05\/sm_1746696363.418535.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-08T12:34:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-08T13:01:58+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"description\":\"Like him or hate him, Joseph Kauandenge has cemented himself as an omnipresent figure in contemporary Namibian politics. ...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2025\/05\/sm_1746696363.418535.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2025\/05\/sm_1746696363.418535.jpg\",\"width\":1556,\"height\":1110,\"caption\":\"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/\",\"name\":\"Namibia\",\"description\":\"Just another Africa News Agency Sites site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\",\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"cfeditoren\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge - Namibia","description":"Like him or hate him, Joseph Kauandenge has cemented himself as an omnipresent figure in contemporary Namibian politics. ...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge","og_description":"Like him or hate him, Joseph Kauandenge has cemented himself as an omnipresent figure in contemporary Namibian politics. ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge","og_site_name":"Namibia","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa","article_published_time":"2025-05-08T12:34:47+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-08T13:01:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1556,"height":1110,"url":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2025\/05\/sm_1746696363.418535.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"cfeditoren","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"cfeditoren","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge"},"author":{"name":"cfeditoren","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb"},"headline":"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge","datePublished":"2025-05-08T12:34:47+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-08T13:01:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge"},"wordCount":892,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2025\/05\/sm_1746696363.418535.jpg","keywords":["namibia"],"articleSection":["all news","files"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge","name":"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge - Namibia","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2025\/05\/sm_1746696363.418535.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-08T12:34:47+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-08T13:01:58+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb"},"description":"Like him or hate him, Joseph Kauandenge has cemented himself as an omnipresent figure in contemporary Namibian politics. ...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2025\/05\/sm_1746696363.418535.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2025\/05\/sm_1746696363.418535.jpg","width":1556,"height":1110,"caption":"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/im-no-political-chameleon-kauandenge#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u2018I\u2019m no political chameleon\u2019 \u2013 Kauandenge"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/","name":"Namibia","description":"Just another Africa News Agency Sites site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb","name":"cfeditoren","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"cfeditoren"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}