PM tears into independent candidate

Candidates for the upcoming Ondangwa Urban by-election stepped up their campaigning over the weekend. The independent candidate, 27-year-old Angelina Immanuel, held a cleaning campaign where she was joined by her supporters, while Swapo held their star rally which was attended by a few cabinet ministers and party members from all the four central northern regions.Immanuel told Namibian Sun that she was not ready to talk to the media. A member of the Swapo Party politburo and central committee, and the prime minister, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, urged voters not to vote for Immanuel, saying she does not belong to any political party and is promising “heaven and earth”.Kuugongelwa-Amadhila also urged Immanuel to refrain from using party colours on her campaign material.She said Ondangwa Urban voters must vote for Swapo candidate Leonard Nevonga because he is able, experienced, dynamic, passionate about uplifting the people of Ondangwa and is empowered with enabling tools that will help him deliver results.“His reign will be on the basis of the well-researched and tested political manifesto of the Swapo party, government's Harambee Prosperity Plan, government's national development plans, the land conference resolutions and many other government policies,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.“How do you vote for somebody that has no policies and they are only talking? They belong to no party with a political manifesto. You do not even know what they are standing for and they are just promising heaven and earth.”She said that the Swapo constitution prohibits Swapo members to contest against Swapo or its members in political competitions. Those who do so are violating the party's constitution and will be thrown out of the party.“You cannot be a Swapo member and you are fighting your own party. Such a person, an independent candidate working to take away votes from Swapo the same way opposition parties do, is a supporter of an opposition party. “By so doing you already chased yourself out of Swapo. If you are an independent candidate and you consider yourself as a Swapo member and you want to remain a Swapo member, stop your competition, stop your fight against Swapo and come to support your party candidate. “If you do not want to do it, we will not look at you as a Swapo member. You must refrain from using Swapo Party colours and symbols on your campaigning materials. If you want to fight against Swapo, stand on your own and we will defeat you as we have done with those who tried it in the past,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.Immanuel would not comment on whether she is a Swapo Party member or that she used Swapo symbols or colours for her campaign.On opposition parties, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said that Swapo has a record of defeating opposition parties and will do it again in the Ondangwa Urban by-election.On 15 June, residents of Ondangwa Urban constituency will vote for the candidate of their choice to replace Elia Irimari, who was appointed as the governor for Oshana Region.Swapo is represented by Negonga while Vincent Ndjoba is the APP candidate. The PDM is represented by Johannes Martin, while Mandume Andreas Tuhafeni is the CoD candidate. The four are joined in the contest by 27-year-old independent candidate Angelina Immanuel.ILENI NANDJATO

PM tears into independent candidate

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-09

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PM tears into independent candidate

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-09

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