Itula denies tribalism claims

Independent presidential candidate Panduleni Itula has quashed insinuations by his detractors that his campaign is premised on tribalism and not ideas that seek to salvage Namibia from its chains of poverty, corruption and inept governance.Talk is rife on social media, especially among those who support Swapo candidate and incumbent head of state Hage Geingob, that the only reason Itula is being allowed to contest the country's top job, while retaining his Swapo membership, is that he is from northern Namibia and the Aawambo tribe.However, when interviewed by Nampa outside the Katutura Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, Itula dismissed these assertions.“My genetic make-up is not responsible for any of the ideology I decided to follow,” Itula said. “I was brought up in Windhoek, in Katutura… I consider myself as not belonging to a tribal grouping at all. At Augustineum, where I went for my secondary education, I was in a class with a lot of people, Tjama Tjivikua, Gerson Kaapehi and so on. I didn't look at those boys as Ovaherero and Damara.”Itula said he is not a tribalist and that those who propel that narrative want to divert Namibians from the issues that confront them currently. “That concept of looking at people and considering them as tribal, simply because they raise a poignant point with regard to the manner in which this country is run… is it right to allow that to take place just because we are scared to be labelled tribalist?”According to Itula, standing up against corruption, gross mismanagement and maladministration, amongst others, should never be misconstrued as tribalism.“I have never and will never be a tribalist. When I went to prison, I went to prison with people from all over this country, 86 of us. When we went on hunger strike, we didn't go on hunger strike because we were Owambo, Ovaherero or Damara; we went on hunger strike because of the convictions and principles we stood for,” he said. The dentist, lawyer and now politician said the principles he stood for then and now are justice, freedom and progress.These are the same principles Swapo was founded on, he said.“There isn't anything wrong with Swapo [as an organisation],” Itula added.However, the current crop of Swapo leaders are misleading the party and the country, with both now seemingly captured by a group of elites and their cronies, he argued.Itula urged his supporters to refrain from violence during the campaign. “If anyone is killed in the name of [campaigning for] Dr Itula, I will pull out of the presidential race. I don't want anyone to die because of me,” he said. The presidential and National Assembly elections take place next Wednesday.NAMPA

Itula denies tribalism claims

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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Itula denies tribalism claims

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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