I hold no grudges - Shaningwa

Kenya Kambowe

RUNDU



Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa says she holds no grudges and that she simply does her job by the book.

Shaningwa was responding to allegations of her being biased against the Kavango East party leadership after she directed that governor Bonifatius Wakudumo relinquish his position as regional mobiliser, while in the case of //Karas governor Aletta Fredricks, she has seemingly been left in her dual role as Swapo regional organiser.

Both Fredricks and Wakudumo were appointed as governors by President Hage Geingob in April.

Swapo's //Karas coordinator Matheus Mumbala told Namibian Sun at the weekend he has not received a letter from the party which calls for Fredricks' replacement, despite Shaningwa saying she had forwarded such a letter.





'Find suitable replacement'

Shaningwa had written to Swapo Kavango East coordinator Ottilie Shinduvi in June, directing that the regional executive committee (REC) convene to find a suitable replacement for Wakudumo after receiving a list of six suitable candidates from the region's six constituencies.

The REC should then choose the top three candidates, whose names will be forwarded to the ruling party's politburo, which will appoint the new regional mobiliser.

Three months later, Wakudumo remains in the post.

Namibian Sun has established that Shaningwa's directive was defied because of the alleged “bad blood” between her office and Shinduvi.

When asked about their relationship, Shaningwa said she has nothing against anyone, as she is simply implementing what the Swapo policy dictates.

“Listen here, I don't have anything against any person for that matter. I am implementing what is in the policy of the party,” Shaningwa said.

“I don't care whether I received a response or not [from Shinduvi], what my task was was to communicate as required by the policies of the party; you can answer me or not, I have to communicate whether you like it or not, because it is my duty as a representative in this office to communicate to others,” she said.



'No beef'

“I think you people must understand that I don't have beef with anybody. I don't carry grudges against anybody, I just do my job. Yours is to implement, but if you don't want to implement, it's your problem. But the policy of the party will consequently deal with you, because it's not about Sophia Shaningwa, it is what the policy is saying.

“I do not carry grudges, because I don't have a heart for that. I don't carry issues because I don't have time to carry issues. For me, I have to concentrate on issues that add value to people's lives and not on people who have grudges with me,” Shaningwa said.



'Small things'

“I have graduated as far as those small things are concerned. I don't have any problem with anybody; I am a free person as far as grudges and trust is concerned.”

As per the party constitution, an extraordinary regional conference should have been conducted where a replacement for Wakudumo would have been elected. However, Shaningwa said in her June letter that due to the Covid-19 regulations, which at the time limited gatherings to 50 people, a different approach should be taken.



'They are dirtying my name'

Shaningwa said yesterday: “If you get a promotion in Swapo, in accordance with the Swapo policy, you were supposed to give up the lower position, and this is what I have found and it is not something I generated, and that must be very clear. People must stop dirtying my name, I don't like that. They must read what the policy of the party is saying, it's not what Sophia Shaningwa is saying.”

When contacted for comment yesterday, Shinduvi said they had not defied any directive and explained that their focus is now on the upcoming regional and local authority elections.

She indicated that early next year they will convene an extraordinary regional conference, where a replacement for Wakudumo will be elected.