Mask-less Iipumbu spat on me: Iithete
03 July 2020 | Politics
STAFF REPORTER
WINDHOEK
Swapo MP Natangwe Iithete says he shoved Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) counterpart Kalimbo Iipumbu in the National Assembly on Wednesday because the opposition leader did not have his Covid-19 mask on and was therefore spitting on him.
The two youthful MPs sat next to each other while Iipumbu was involved in a heated exchange with former Swapo chief whip Evelyn Nawases-Tayele, who sat in a front of the two male MPs.
“Kalimbo and Evelyn were in a heated argument and showing each other fingers. Kalimbo stood next to me and did not have his mask on, so when he shouted at Evelyn, his saliva droplets were landing on my face.”
“In the heat of the moment, I pushed him. But in the end we resolved the misunderstanding and people were actually surprised later when they saw us having a normal conversation afterwards,” the former finance deputy minister said.
Iipumbu, the NEFF vice-president, said Swapo seemed to have an orchestrated strategy to frustrate the opposition on the day.
“It started much earlier when I greeted Utoni Nujoma and he replied with a 'voetsek'. I told him that I respect him as an elder and that he was like a father to me. He went on insulting me and the police officers there said I must let it go.”
“Later I was talking to Iithete about the reconciliation debate and Evelyn just started shouting at me, saying 'jy raas [you're making noise]' and 'voetsek'. I was telling her to stop saying voetsek to me because I am not a dog. Next thing I see is Iithete pushing me, so I pushed him back.”
Newbies being naughty
Iithete, who was not retained as a deputy minister after last year's general elections, was asked about the increasing incidents of heated confrontation in parliament lately.
“It's not how it should be, to be honest,” he said. “It's mostly people who just joined parliament that are behaving like that. It's up to all of us, Swapo and the opposition, to rectify things while it's early.”
WINDHOEK
Swapo MP Natangwe Iithete says he shoved Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) counterpart Kalimbo Iipumbu in the National Assembly on Wednesday because the opposition leader did not have his Covid-19 mask on and was therefore spitting on him.
The two youthful MPs sat next to each other while Iipumbu was involved in a heated exchange with former Swapo chief whip Evelyn Nawases-Tayele, who sat in a front of the two male MPs.
“Kalimbo and Evelyn were in a heated argument and showing each other fingers. Kalimbo stood next to me and did not have his mask on, so when he shouted at Evelyn, his saliva droplets were landing on my face.”
“In the heat of the moment, I pushed him. But in the end we resolved the misunderstanding and people were actually surprised later when they saw us having a normal conversation afterwards,” the former finance deputy minister said.
Iipumbu, the NEFF vice-president, said Swapo seemed to have an orchestrated strategy to frustrate the opposition on the day.
“It started much earlier when I greeted Utoni Nujoma and he replied with a 'voetsek'. I told him that I respect him as an elder and that he was like a father to me. He went on insulting me and the police officers there said I must let it go.”
“Later I was talking to Iithete about the reconciliation debate and Evelyn just started shouting at me, saying 'jy raas [you're making noise]' and 'voetsek'. I was telling her to stop saying voetsek to me because I am not a dog. Next thing I see is Iithete pushing me, so I pushed him back.”
Newbies being naughty
Iithete, who was not retained as a deputy minister after last year's general elections, was asked about the increasing incidents of heated confrontation in parliament lately.
“It's not how it should be, to be honest,” he said. “It's mostly people who just joined parliament that are behaving like that. It's up to all of us, Swapo and the opposition, to rectify things while it's early.”
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