More Swapo chaos

The Namibian police had to be called on Wednesday to calm simmering tensions among Swapo members at Gobabis, amid ongoing wrangles within the regional leadership of the party.The disagreement between the members of the party stems from a regional elective conference held by one faction of the party on Tuesday, which culminated in the election of a new regional leadership.Former Epukiro constituency councillor Ruth Kaukuata-Mbura was elected as new party regional coordinator, while Swapo Party Youth League regional secretary Eben Handura got the nod for the information and mobilisation portfolio.The same conference also elected Eliot Hiskia as regional treasurer.The other faction, led by former regional coordinator Kejamuina Mungendje, took issue with the outcome of the conference and challenged its constitutional legality.Mungendje's faction argued that the other faction, which includes Gobabis constituency councillor Phillipus Katamelo and the chairperson of the Omaheke Regional Council, Ignatius Kariseb, does not have the constitutional mandate to convene such a conference without his blessing as regional coordinator.Members loyal to Mungendje boycotted Tuesday's elective conference, saying that they would hold their own conference at a date yet to be communicated.The other faction nonetheless went ahead and called a media conference on Wednesday, where it announced its newly elected leadership, backed by the chairperson of leaders assigned to the Omaheke Region, Bernhardt Esau.Confrontation however started when Mungendje's faction turned up at the party regional office to convene a Regional Executive Committee meeting, but the other faction continuously disrupted the meeting, prompting police intervention.Esau told members of Mungendje's faction that their gathering was unconstitutional and that they needed to disperse, to which they objected, resulting in a war of words.Those present accused him of abusing his position by meddling in the affairs of the party regional structures. He however responded that he was simply carrying out his mandate as an overseer of the region. “I will not be intimidated by you. I am a Swapo member since 1976,” Esau said.Mungendje however maintained that the other faction deliberately bypassed him when it elected Mbura as regional coordinator.“I am above the chairperson of national leaders assigned to the region when it comes to such things. I do not have a problem vacating the office, but it has to be done in order,” he said.The police then advised Mungendje's faction to hold its meeting elsewhere, to which it eventually agreed. This diffused the situation in the end. Meanwhile, NamPol regional commander for the Omaheke Region, Commissioner Josephat Abel told Nampa on Friday the police involvement in political squabbles is solely to restore order and prevent unruly situations.Abel made the comments after some residents here alleged that the police were taking sides in the political stand-off within the ruling party in Omaheke.The allegations surfaced after the police were on two different occasions called to intervene in meetings of the party to calm down members who were on the brink of taking each other on physically.

More Swapo chaos

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-21

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More Swapo chaos

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-21

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