AR plots city takeover
AR leader Job Amupanda says his mayoral campaign will be all about radical social justice.
The provision of more than 75 000 houses, the recruitment of 3 000 security personnel, and the reopening of Ramatex to provide all municipal uniforms are among the promises made by the Affirmative Reposition movement (AR) yesterday when it launched its bid to contest next year's local authority elections.
AR leader Job Amupanda confirmed his intention of taking over the reins of the City of Windhoek in a bid to smash the status quo and bring about radical social justice.
“The future is going to be bright; you are going to need sunglasses,” he said.
AR activists yesterday gave an outline of the movement's draft manifesto, dubbed the Windhoek Radical Transformation (WRT).
The WRT details the organisation's plans to reduce rates and taxes by 12%, construct housing and hostels for students, implement cycling lanes and distribute thousands of bicycles, among other things.
To do this the AR will have to confront the Swapo juggernaut in the next local authority elections. The ruling party currently has the lion's share of the 15 council seats in Windhoek, with 11 of its councillors having voted in the current mayor.
However, AR said they were excited about the challenge.
“For 29 years you never had a conversation of who the mayor is because the system projects a narrative that you cannot engage. We want people to have a conversation of who the mayor is,” Amupanda said yesterday.
Political parties and interested individuals are eligible to contest local authority elections every five years, provided they show that at least 250 members of their group are registered voters.
The parties and organisations contesting the elections also have to submit a list of candidates for the council seats.
Amupanda stressed that, should the AR succeed and he becomes mayor of Windhoek, he would not wear the mayoral chain but auction it off.
“Why do you need to wear a chain to show compassion and build a home for somebody? Why do you need a chain in order for you to really provide employment, development and happiness to people?”
He also said if the movement were able to implement its manifesto of radical change and upliftment, “we are not going to do things as usual.”
Amupanda said he was confident that whatever headwinds the movement could face during the mayoral campaign, “we don't envision a situation where we are going to be blocked by anybody. We don't foresee a problem.”
AR activist Gisela Peyani Hashange said of the more than 320 000 Windhoek residents, 100 000 live in shacks.
She said the city is also troubled by daily violent crimes, police brutality, lack of services, the eviction of residents from their homes, unemployment and other social ills.
“Enough is truly enough,” she said.
The AR's Dimbulukeni Nauyoma warned that unless the status quo was disrupted, informal settlement growth would continue to spiral out of control, corruption would remain unaddressed and the city's woes would continue.
Nauyoma said the country's youth are prepared to take the necessary steps to vote for a mayor they know and because of the AR's work over the past five years to reignite passion for politics among the youth.
JANA-MARI SMITH
AR leader Job Amupanda confirmed his intention of taking over the reins of the City of Windhoek in a bid to smash the status quo and bring about radical social justice.
“The future is going to be bright; you are going to need sunglasses,” he said.
AR activists yesterday gave an outline of the movement's draft manifesto, dubbed the Windhoek Radical Transformation (WRT).
The WRT details the organisation's plans to reduce rates and taxes by 12%, construct housing and hostels for students, implement cycling lanes and distribute thousands of bicycles, among other things.
To do this the AR will have to confront the Swapo juggernaut in the next local authority elections. The ruling party currently has the lion's share of the 15 council seats in Windhoek, with 11 of its councillors having voted in the current mayor.
However, AR said they were excited about the challenge.
“For 29 years you never had a conversation of who the mayor is because the system projects a narrative that you cannot engage. We want people to have a conversation of who the mayor is,” Amupanda said yesterday.
Political parties and interested individuals are eligible to contest local authority elections every five years, provided they show that at least 250 members of their group are registered voters.
The parties and organisations contesting the elections also have to submit a list of candidates for the council seats.
Amupanda stressed that, should the AR succeed and he becomes mayor of Windhoek, he would not wear the mayoral chain but auction it off.
“Why do you need to wear a chain to show compassion and build a home for somebody? Why do you need a chain in order for you to really provide employment, development and happiness to people?”
He also said if the movement were able to implement its manifesto of radical change and upliftment, “we are not going to do things as usual.”
Amupanda said he was confident that whatever headwinds the movement could face during the mayoral campaign, “we don't envision a situation where we are going to be blocked by anybody. We don't foresee a problem.”
AR activist Gisela Peyani Hashange said of the more than 320 000 Windhoek residents, 100 000 live in shacks.
She said the city is also troubled by daily violent crimes, police brutality, lack of services, the eviction of residents from their homes, unemployment and other social ills.
“Enough is truly enough,” she said.
The AR's Dimbulukeni Nauyoma warned that unless the status quo was disrupted, informal settlement growth would continue to spiral out of control, corruption would remain unaddressed and the city's woes would continue.
Nauyoma said the country's youth are prepared to take the necessary steps to vote for a mayor they know and because of the AR's work over the past five years to reignite passion for politics among the youth.
JANA-MARI SMITH
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