Swapo top 3: The glue that doesn't hold
Netumbo’s bumpy ride to party candidacy
President Hage Geingob's latest remarks about the party's presidential candidate - though downplayed by State House - cannot be taken at face value, party insiders say.
Allies of Swapo Party vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah have mounted a fierce resistance to talks of an extraordinary congress to elect the party’s presidential candidate at the national polls next year.
Traditionally, the party’s vice-president is the automatic candidate to represent the party at the polls, but talks within the top structures are that there is a covert attempt to call for a congress early next year to vote for a candidate.
Party president Hage Geingob’s remarks this week - that the party’s presidential candidate is still a secret - further sparked outrage within party ranks.
While addressing the ninth session of the heads of mission conference earlier this week, he said: “We have identified some people. The secret will be kept and one day when the time comes, I will be the first one to announce at a big conference or rally the candidate that Swapo has elected”.
While Geingob might have uttered those words light-heartedly, they did not sit well with those rallying behind Nandi-Ndaitwah, with some fearing that there exists a clandestine plot to derail her plans to lead the country.
Open secret
A party veteran, who chose to remain anonymous, said Geingob’s comments are “deeper than it appears at face value”.
“It is an open secret that he did not support her at congress and they do not get along. So, if talks about an extraordinary congress are true - especially with underground efforts to mobilise structures to support an extraordinary congress - Geingob might gain silent support. But publicly, party members will definitely stand with Netumbo,” the veteran said.
A series of figures known to be close to Nandi-Ndaitwah said Geingob’s utterances are not being taken lightly, while talks of a rift between the pair have refused to die down.
The perceived strained relationship within the party’s top brass does not only end with the vice-president, party insiders said, adding that there also exists bad political blood between Geingob and party secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa.
The party’s chief administrator has, however, denied a rift between the top three.
No surprise
Namibian Sun understands Geingob hardly steps foot at the party’s headquarters these days, with at least three Swapo workers based at head office claiming the president has not visited that office this year.
“He does not come here, to be honest. Politburo and central committee meetings are held at State House or at parliament. For some of us who have worked for the party for ages, it is unheard of to have a party president who does not go to the headquarters; it is as if the party is being managed remotely,” the official said.
Another quipped: “It has been a while since we’ve seen the president here, but with the broken relationship between Hage and the vice-president as well as the secretary-general, perhaps this does not come as a surprise”.
Shaningwa yesterday denied the existence of a power struggle between herself and Geingob.
“Just call the president to clarify, I do not want to put words in his mouth. There is nothing like that [a rift between them]. As far as I know, the president does not have bad feelings towards Netumbo.
“The people are talking too much. The president supports Netumbo as the presidential candidate of Swapo. Leave my president alone,” she said.
According to Shaningwa, the reason Geingob has not visited headquarters in a long time is due to safety concerns.
“The party offices are still under construction and we have to take great caution to safeguard the president’s safety,” she explained.
Causing disunity
According to presidential spokesperson Dr Alfredo Hengari, Geingob is actively involved in party matters - despite not visiting headquarters.
Clarifying the remarks made to diplomats this week, he said: “[Geingob] will campaign for the candidate. He has clearly stated that the party already has a candidate; it is very clear that he is referring to Netumbo”.
At a press conference this week where Swapo announced a march – set to be held today – in solidarity with the people of Palestine, spokesperson Hilma Nikanor accused the media of trying to cause division within the party.
“We are not talking about an incoming candidate [Nandi-Ndaitwah], we are talking about a candidate elected by the Swapo congress that was convened last year. This is the party’s candidate for the 2024 presidential elections. Whatever has happened, has happened,” she said.
Nikanor added: “We know media in this country and the elements who are out there try to cause disunity in the party. Take it from the horse’s mouth: Swapo only has one elected candidate.
“Those who are after this thing [extraordinary congress], we know why they are doing it. There is no issue about the Netumbo candidacy. After all, she was elected at a congress chaired by President Geingob.”
Traditionally, the party’s vice-president is the automatic candidate to represent the party at the polls, but talks within the top structures are that there is a covert attempt to call for a congress early next year to vote for a candidate.
Party president Hage Geingob’s remarks this week - that the party’s presidential candidate is still a secret - further sparked outrage within party ranks.
While addressing the ninth session of the heads of mission conference earlier this week, he said: “We have identified some people. The secret will be kept and one day when the time comes, I will be the first one to announce at a big conference or rally the candidate that Swapo has elected”.
While Geingob might have uttered those words light-heartedly, they did not sit well with those rallying behind Nandi-Ndaitwah, with some fearing that there exists a clandestine plot to derail her plans to lead the country.
Open secret
A party veteran, who chose to remain anonymous, said Geingob’s comments are “deeper than it appears at face value”.
“It is an open secret that he did not support her at congress and they do not get along. So, if talks about an extraordinary congress are true - especially with underground efforts to mobilise structures to support an extraordinary congress - Geingob might gain silent support. But publicly, party members will definitely stand with Netumbo,” the veteran said.
A series of figures known to be close to Nandi-Ndaitwah said Geingob’s utterances are not being taken lightly, while talks of a rift between the pair have refused to die down.
The perceived strained relationship within the party’s top brass does not only end with the vice-president, party insiders said, adding that there also exists bad political blood between Geingob and party secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa.
The party’s chief administrator has, however, denied a rift between the top three.
No surprise
Namibian Sun understands Geingob hardly steps foot at the party’s headquarters these days, with at least three Swapo workers based at head office claiming the president has not visited that office this year.
“He does not come here, to be honest. Politburo and central committee meetings are held at State House or at parliament. For some of us who have worked for the party for ages, it is unheard of to have a party president who does not go to the headquarters; it is as if the party is being managed remotely,” the official said.
Another quipped: “It has been a while since we’ve seen the president here, but with the broken relationship between Hage and the vice-president as well as the secretary-general, perhaps this does not come as a surprise”.
Shaningwa yesterday denied the existence of a power struggle between herself and Geingob.
“Just call the president to clarify, I do not want to put words in his mouth. There is nothing like that [a rift between them]. As far as I know, the president does not have bad feelings towards Netumbo.
“The people are talking too much. The president supports Netumbo as the presidential candidate of Swapo. Leave my president alone,” she said.
According to Shaningwa, the reason Geingob has not visited headquarters in a long time is due to safety concerns.
“The party offices are still under construction and we have to take great caution to safeguard the president’s safety,” she explained.
Causing disunity
According to presidential spokesperson Dr Alfredo Hengari, Geingob is actively involved in party matters - despite not visiting headquarters.
Clarifying the remarks made to diplomats this week, he said: “[Geingob] will campaign for the candidate. He has clearly stated that the party already has a candidate; it is very clear that he is referring to Netumbo”.
At a press conference this week where Swapo announced a march – set to be held today – in solidarity with the people of Palestine, spokesperson Hilma Nikanor accused the media of trying to cause division within the party.
“We are not talking about an incoming candidate [Nandi-Ndaitwah], we are talking about a candidate elected by the Swapo congress that was convened last year. This is the party’s candidate for the 2024 presidential elections. Whatever has happened, has happened,” she said.
Nikanor added: “We know media in this country and the elements who are out there try to cause disunity in the party. Take it from the horse’s mouth: Swapo only has one elected candidate.
“Those who are after this thing [extraordinary congress], we know why they are doing it. There is no issue about the Netumbo candidacy. After all, she was elected at a congress chaired by President Geingob.”
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