LPM, Swapo clash
A Swapo councillor is being accused of intimidation by the LPM, however, he claims, he was under the impression that people were being defrauded.
Mobilisers of the Landless People's Movement (LPM) are accusing Swapo Otjiwarongo constituency councillor Julius Neumbo of confiscating about 60 voter registration cards from its supporters.
LPM organiser Frans Pemboma said Neumbo, accompanied by two men, had arrived at his home on Sunday and demanded the voter cards, which he had been collecting from people for the purpose of capturing their personal information.
Pemboma claimed residents of the Ombili informal settlement intend to give the LPM their support, once it is registered as a political party by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), ahead of next year's general elections.
Pemboma said Neumbo took the cards and told the people they should come to his office if they want them back.
The mobiliser said this was clearly an attempt to intimidate residents that were planning to join the LPM.
Another LPM mobiliser, Jakob Hausiku, confirmed Pemboma's claims and added he had been approached by a police intelligence officer, who he only knows as Carlos, on 26 June.
The intelligence officer allegedly wanted to take him to the Otjiwarongo police station, presumably for interrogation.
Hausiku said unknown police officers have been “threatening” residents not to take part in any LPM activities.
Neumbo denied the allegations, saying he was requested by Pemboma to take the voter cards with him for safekeeping.
He stressed he had not confiscated the cards, saying they were given to him.
Neumbo said he was in the north when he received a call about people being registered. He said he then called Otjiwarongo mayor Bennes Haimbondi to establish what was happening.
When he arrived at Otjiwarongo he heard the queues for registration were growing longer and he then went on NBC's Oshiwambo radio station to warn residents about “dubious acts”.
“This is not the first time these types of people are registering those communities. Another time people had to pay N$40 and were promised houses. That is why I thought I should alert the people,” Neumbo said.
He said after the broadcast many people demanded their voter cards and identity documents back from the LPM mobilisers. He said he also took up the matter with an ECN official.
“I thought somebody tried to defraud the people,” Neumbo insisted, saying he would give the people their voter cards back.
“I am not a Swapo councillor; I am a councillor for the government.”
The LPM mobilisers vehemently denied Neumbo's assertion that they have gone around promising plots to people, saying they made it clear to him they were merely registering people as LPM members.
Ironically, Neumbo forwarded a photo of the LPM registration form, with a caption that read “dubious form”.
The form clearly states the purpose of signing it was to show support for the LPM's registration with the ECN.
Neumbo also said “someone from Windhoek” had in the meantime phoned and insulted him.
LPM's national secretary Henny Seibeb admitted he had called Neumbo about the voter cards, saying the Swapo councillor's motive was clearly an attempt to intimidate people supporting the LPM.
“I told him how a democracy works. There is space for any political party or civil movement in a democracy. The political space is not just for Swapo. This is not a one-party state. They think they own people and that when we want to go into a community we have to go through them,” Seibeb fumed.
He claimed Neumbo had gone to the informal settlement with police officers “to clamp down” on LPM supporters.
“Otjiwarongo is known for its political violence; it is a powder keg and things can turn out violent if we are not careful,” Seibeb cautioned.
He said Neumbo should be called to order by Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa and police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga.
“The police are supposed to be neutral. Neumbo is friends with people in the police. Swapo does not own people's minds; their days are numbered,” Seibeb said.
Head of the Otjozondjupa police, Commissioner Heinrich Tjiveze, said LPM leader Bernadus Swartbooi had spoken to him about the matter, but did not give him anything “concrete”.
“If he can give me something concrete I can follow it up officially,” Tjiveze said.
Catherine Sasman
LPM organiser Frans Pemboma said Neumbo, accompanied by two men, had arrived at his home on Sunday and demanded the voter cards, which he had been collecting from people for the purpose of capturing their personal information.
Pemboma claimed residents of the Ombili informal settlement intend to give the LPM their support, once it is registered as a political party by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), ahead of next year's general elections.
Pemboma said Neumbo took the cards and told the people they should come to his office if they want them back.
The mobiliser said this was clearly an attempt to intimidate residents that were planning to join the LPM.
Another LPM mobiliser, Jakob Hausiku, confirmed Pemboma's claims and added he had been approached by a police intelligence officer, who he only knows as Carlos, on 26 June.
The intelligence officer allegedly wanted to take him to the Otjiwarongo police station, presumably for interrogation.
Hausiku said unknown police officers have been “threatening” residents not to take part in any LPM activities.
Neumbo denied the allegations, saying he was requested by Pemboma to take the voter cards with him for safekeeping.
He stressed he had not confiscated the cards, saying they were given to him.
Neumbo said he was in the north when he received a call about people being registered. He said he then called Otjiwarongo mayor Bennes Haimbondi to establish what was happening.
When he arrived at Otjiwarongo he heard the queues for registration were growing longer and he then went on NBC's Oshiwambo radio station to warn residents about “dubious acts”.
“This is not the first time these types of people are registering those communities. Another time people had to pay N$40 and were promised houses. That is why I thought I should alert the people,” Neumbo said.
He said after the broadcast many people demanded their voter cards and identity documents back from the LPM mobilisers. He said he also took up the matter with an ECN official.
“I thought somebody tried to defraud the people,” Neumbo insisted, saying he would give the people their voter cards back.
“I am not a Swapo councillor; I am a councillor for the government.”
The LPM mobilisers vehemently denied Neumbo's assertion that they have gone around promising plots to people, saying they made it clear to him they were merely registering people as LPM members.
Ironically, Neumbo forwarded a photo of the LPM registration form, with a caption that read “dubious form”.
The form clearly states the purpose of signing it was to show support for the LPM's registration with the ECN.
Neumbo also said “someone from Windhoek” had in the meantime phoned and insulted him.
LPM's national secretary Henny Seibeb admitted he had called Neumbo about the voter cards, saying the Swapo councillor's motive was clearly an attempt to intimidate people supporting the LPM.
“I told him how a democracy works. There is space for any political party or civil movement in a democracy. The political space is not just for Swapo. This is not a one-party state. They think they own people and that when we want to go into a community we have to go through them,” Seibeb fumed.
He claimed Neumbo had gone to the informal settlement with police officers “to clamp down” on LPM supporters.
“Otjiwarongo is known for its political violence; it is a powder keg and things can turn out violent if we are not careful,” Seibeb cautioned.
He said Neumbo should be called to order by Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa and police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga.
“The police are supposed to be neutral. Neumbo is friends with people in the police. Swapo does not own people's minds; their days are numbered,” Seibeb said.
Head of the Otjozondjupa police, Commissioner Heinrich Tjiveze, said LPM leader Bernadus Swartbooi had spoken to him about the matter, but did not give him anything “concrete”.
“If he can give me something concrete I can follow it up officially,” Tjiveze said.
Catherine Sasman
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