Itula not a competitor u2013 AR
Itula not a competitor u2013 AR

Itula not a competitor – AR

Ogone Tlhage
OGONE TLHAGE

WINDHOEK



The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement does not see the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), a mooted political party led by former presidential candidate Panduleni Itula, as immediate competitors to the movement's own political ambitions.

AR leader Dr Job Amupanda, who supported Itula for the 2019 presidential election, said Itula has every right to carve his own political path, but added that AR will remain on course for its own ideological inclinations.

“We supported Itula because he was an independent candidate and we had already supported Angelina Immanuel as an independent for Ondangwa earlier the same year,” Amupanda said.

“We give political, philosophical and ideological orientation to others. We play above party politics, so Itula is not an immediate opponent.”

“We don't have a monopoly over political process.

“We want to be true to the fact that we want land. The question that we must pose is: How do we meet our people at the point of need?”





No major role

Walvis Bay Urban independent councillor Knowledge Ipinge distanced himself from Itula's party, saying the dentist did not play a major role in his activism journey.

“During the build-up to the presidential elections in November, I rallied behind Itula merely based on the fact that he was running for office as an independent and not under the banner of any political party,” he said. “It is important to take note that at the time, there was no intention or plan for him to form a political party and if it was the case, I wouldn't have associated myself with his campaign.”

Itula is playing his cards close to his chest following confirmation by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) that a party, an idea championed by Itula, will be formed.

Chief electoral officer at the ECN, Theo Mujoro, this week confirmed that an application had been received from Itula.

Itula had announced the formation of the party, but would not elaborate when asked what agenda it would be driving.

“We will advise the nation in due course,” he said.

When asked when the party would be holding a congress or announcing its leaders, Itula simply said: “Soon”.

In a message shared to would-be members of the party, Itula encouraged those who would join the IPC to take membership cards of the political parties they belonged to to a convention that is yet to be held.

“Please encourage all to bring their membership cards to the convention and they will be collected and delivered safely to the respective headquarters of those parties,” he said.

“We have political differences of how we wish to restore our people's dignity, but we should never cultivate hatred or anger against our own brothers and sisters. No emotions and no anger against your fellow compatriots,” his message further read.



Presidential ambitions

Itula in October 2019 announced his plans to run as an independent candidate, much to the chagrin of Swapo, whom he was still a member of at the time. He deplored the state of housing and lack thereof, saying that it was unacceptable that Namibians were subjected to living in shacks.

“Today, our people are living in shacks, unable to relieve themselves when nature calls; that is not dignity for my people, that is not dignity for Namibians. Should they elect Itula, within the first periods of my administration, we will provide them with sanitisation,” he said. Itula ran against President Hage Geingob in the November elections, taking 29.4% of the votes and ending second behind the eventual winner, Geingob.

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-29

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Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 233.12/OZ UP +1.93% | Copper US$ 3.99/lb UP +0.12% | Zinc US$ 2 455.50/T UP 0% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.65/BBP UP +1.46% | Platinum US$ 908.62/OZ UP +1.53% Sport results: Weather: Katima Mulilo: 19° | 36° Rundu: 19° | 29° Eenhana: 19° | 29° Oshakati: 21° | 30° Ruacana: 20° | 33° Tsumeb: 19° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 29° Omaruru: 19° | 32° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Gobabis: 17° | 30° Henties Bay: 16° | 20° Wind speed: 22km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 11:22, High tide: 05:24, Low Tide: 23:26, High tide: 17:46 Swakopmund: 16° | 17° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 11:20, High tide: 05:22, Low Tide: 23:24, High tide: 17:44 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 27km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 11:20, High tide: 05:21, Low Tide: 23:24, High tide: 17:43 Rehoboth: 19° | 30° Mariental: 23° | 34° Keetmanshoop: 24° | 35° Aranos: 22° | 33° Lüderitz: 15° | 28° Ariamsvlei: 24° | 35° Oranjemund: 14° | 25° Luanda: 27° | 28° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 26° Mbabane: 16° | 21° Maseru: 11° | 29° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 27° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Cape Town: 17° | 28° Durban: 20° | 24° Johannesburg: 16° | 24° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 20° | 30° Harare: 16° | 29° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.8 | EUR to NAD 20.37 | CNY to NAD 2.62 | USD to NAD 18.9 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.77 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.15 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.35 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 18.91 | USD to ZMW 25.01 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 74536 Up +0.85% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1528.69 Up +0.84% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12986.94 Up +0.04% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 27559.35 Down -2.36% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 233.12/OZ UP +1.93% | Copper US$ 3.99/lb UP +0.12% | Zinc US$ 2 455.50/T UP 0% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.65/BBP UP +1.46% | Platinum US$ 908.62/OZ UP +1.53%