Kavango East voters decry Mbangu’s National Council snub
• Internal party dynamics,
not public opinion, drove decision
A petition submitted to Swapo by regional residents demands Mbangu's reinstatement to the National Council, arguing that appointments should serve the region's interests rather than internal party preferences.
Phillipus Josef
RunduThe controversy over a decision not to return independent Kavango East regional councillor Paulus Mbangu to the National Council, despite the votes he garnered in the November elections, has exposed deeper tensions between party authority, constitutional interpretation and public expectations in the region.
Mbangu was an independent member of the National Council for the 2020-2025 term, representing the Rundu Rural Constituency.
In November, he retained the Rundu Rural Constituency seat, obtaining 3 057 votes in the regional council and local authority elections, and is number nine on the electoral commission’s list.
During his swearing in as a regional councillor last week, Mbangu argued that, following the decision not to return him to parliament, “the voice of the people has been stifled and our democratic principles have been cannibalised.”
He accused Swapo of silencing voters by blocking independent candidates from the National Council, despite their strong support in recent elections.
He also criticised the ruling party’s internal choices, claiming that Swapo was sidelining capable representatives.
“The party does not want vibrant people in parliament and they don’t want the voice of Kavangos to be heard,” he argued.
Mbangu further pointed to the strong mandate he and two other councillors received, noting they secured the highest number of votes in the region.
“But someone outside there is making decisions,” he added.
Internal decision
Swapo member of parliament Elifas Ndingara, in a recent message circulated on a WhatsApp group, rejected suggestions that Mbangu was removed due to voter rejection or hostility in the region.
Ndingara said the decision was entirely internal and rooted in party dynamics rather than public opinion.
He argued that while voters elect regional councillors, they do not directly elect representatives to the National Council.
That authority, he explained, rests with the regional council, acting through the majority party – in this case Swapo.
In Kavango East, where Swapo holds dominance, Ndingara said the party structure was both the pathway through which Mbangu rose and the same structure that ultimately withdrew its support.
He framed Mbangu’s non-retention as a consequence of strained internal relationships rather than performance or popularity.
He suggested that political careers often falter not because of public failure but because of a breakdown in loyalty, communication or alignment within party structures.
Attempts to portray the outcome as a rejection by “the Kavango people”, he said, were misleading and unfair to voters, who had already discharged their democratic duty.
He drew comparisons with party-centred political systems elsewhere, arguing that internal dynamics frequently determine who advances and who does not. In that sense, he described Mbangu’s removal not as an aberration but as a routine outcome of organisational politics.
Constitutionality and public mandate
However, that interpretation is being contested by some members of the public.
Last week, a petition was submitted to Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa, calling for the reinstatement of Mbangu as Kavango East’s representative to the National Council.
The document, signed by residents who identify as citizens of the region, frames the issue not as an internal party matter but as a constitutional obligation and a matter of democratic legitimacy.
Efforts to reach Shaningwa for comment were unsuccessful.
The petition cites Article 108 of the Namibian Constitution, which assigns regional councils the power to elect members to the National Council. It argues that this authority must be exercised in the interests of the region rather than along factional or loyalty-based lines within a political party.
The petitioners maintain that the law requires transparency and fidelity to the will of the electorate, not merely adherence to internal party preferences.
Beyond legal arguments, the petition points to Mbangu’s record as regional councillor for Rundu Rural Constituency over the past five years, highlighting his advocacy on social protection, human–wildlife conflict compensation and assistance to vulnerable households. It points out that these efforts earned him public trust and made him the preferred voice for Kavango East at the national level.
The petition further alleges that internal party considerations are being prioritised over competence and community support, warning that such decisions risk eroding public confidence in Swapo’s claim to be people-centred.
It calls on the party leadership to endorse Mbangu and to ensure that future appointments respect both constitutional principles and popular sentiment.
Mbangu distances himself from the lobbying
Yet Mbangu himself has remained notably cautious.
Contacted for comment by Namibian Sun this week, Mbangu distanced himself from the petition and any mobilisation around his name.
Mbangu said he was aware that people might be organising, but insisted he would not get directly involved.
“For ethical reasons, I cannot take part in those things,” he said, adding that he preferred to observe rather than comment or influence developments.
He suggested that public discussions were moving ahead without clarity and that it was better, for now, to wait and see how matters unfold.
[email protected]
RunduThe controversy over a decision not to return independent Kavango East regional councillor Paulus Mbangu to the National Council, despite the votes he garnered in the November elections, has exposed deeper tensions between party authority, constitutional interpretation and public expectations in the region.
Mbangu was an independent member of the National Council for the 2020-2025 term, representing the Rundu Rural Constituency.
In November, he retained the Rundu Rural Constituency seat, obtaining 3 057 votes in the regional council and local authority elections, and is number nine on the electoral commission’s list.
During his swearing in as a regional councillor last week, Mbangu argued that, following the decision not to return him to parliament, “the voice of the people has been stifled and our democratic principles have been cannibalised.”
He accused Swapo of silencing voters by blocking independent candidates from the National Council, despite their strong support in recent elections.
He also criticised the ruling party’s internal choices, claiming that Swapo was sidelining capable representatives.
“The party does not want vibrant people in parliament and they don’t want the voice of Kavangos to be heard,” he argued.
Mbangu further pointed to the strong mandate he and two other councillors received, noting they secured the highest number of votes in the region.
“But someone outside there is making decisions,” he added.
Internal decision
Swapo member of parliament Elifas Ndingara, in a recent message circulated on a WhatsApp group, rejected suggestions that Mbangu was removed due to voter rejection or hostility in the region.
Ndingara said the decision was entirely internal and rooted in party dynamics rather than public opinion.
He argued that while voters elect regional councillors, they do not directly elect representatives to the National Council.
That authority, he explained, rests with the regional council, acting through the majority party – in this case Swapo.
In Kavango East, where Swapo holds dominance, Ndingara said the party structure was both the pathway through which Mbangu rose and the same structure that ultimately withdrew its support.
He framed Mbangu’s non-retention as a consequence of strained internal relationships rather than performance or popularity.
He suggested that political careers often falter not because of public failure but because of a breakdown in loyalty, communication or alignment within party structures.
Attempts to portray the outcome as a rejection by “the Kavango people”, he said, were misleading and unfair to voters, who had already discharged their democratic duty.
He drew comparisons with party-centred political systems elsewhere, arguing that internal dynamics frequently determine who advances and who does not. In that sense, he described Mbangu’s removal not as an aberration but as a routine outcome of organisational politics.
Constitutionality and public mandate
However, that interpretation is being contested by some members of the public.
Last week, a petition was submitted to Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa, calling for the reinstatement of Mbangu as Kavango East’s representative to the National Council.
The document, signed by residents who identify as citizens of the region, frames the issue not as an internal party matter but as a constitutional obligation and a matter of democratic legitimacy.
Efforts to reach Shaningwa for comment were unsuccessful.
The petition cites Article 108 of the Namibian Constitution, which assigns regional councils the power to elect members to the National Council. It argues that this authority must be exercised in the interests of the region rather than along factional or loyalty-based lines within a political party.
The petitioners maintain that the law requires transparency and fidelity to the will of the electorate, not merely adherence to internal party preferences.
Beyond legal arguments, the petition points to Mbangu’s record as regional councillor for Rundu Rural Constituency over the past five years, highlighting his advocacy on social protection, human–wildlife conflict compensation and assistance to vulnerable households. It points out that these efforts earned him public trust and made him the preferred voice for Kavango East at the national level.
The petition further alleges that internal party considerations are being prioritised over competence and community support, warning that such decisions risk eroding public confidence in Swapo’s claim to be people-centred.
It calls on the party leadership to endorse Mbangu and to ensure that future appointments respect both constitutional principles and popular sentiment.
Mbangu distances himself from the lobbying
Yet Mbangu himself has remained notably cautious.
Contacted for comment by Namibian Sun this week, Mbangu distanced himself from the petition and any mobilisation around his name.
Mbangu said he was aware that people might be organising, but insisted he would not get directly involved.
“For ethical reasons, I cannot take part in those things,” he said, adding that he preferred to observe rather than comment or influence developments.
He suggested that public discussions were moving ahead without clarity and that it was better, for now, to wait and see how matters unfold.
[email protected]
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