'Reinstate Swapo Four in SPYL'

Calls are being made from within and outside the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) for the reinstatement of the so-called Swapo Four in the leadership positions they held before their expulsion from the party.

The Swapo Four are Elijah Ngurare, George Kambala, Job Amupanda and Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, who were expelled last year by the Swapo Party but challenged the party in court, with a victory early this year.

Ngurare served as SPYL secretary, while Amupanda had served as secretary for information, publicity and mobilisation since 2012.

In fact he had resigned his position at the youth league before his expulsion from the party.

Nauyoma served as a district secretary in the Tobias Hainyeko Constituency, while Kambala served for the Samora Machel Constituency.

Although the court ordered the party to reverse its decision of expelling the four, it did not grant an order to have the Swapo Four reinstated in any leadership positions in the party.

Party spokesperson Helmut Angula this week said he had no clue as to whether any decision had been taken on the reinstatement of the Swapo Four.

He said the current leadership of the youth wing had not made any recommendation in this regard to the party secretariat.

Meanwhile, according to the SPYL secretary of information, publicity and mobilisation in Kavango East, Peter Kashumali, in a press statement issued recently, SPYL is facing a strategic challenge of modernising the organisation so that it is effective in driving and inspiring change and responsive to the ever-changing needs of its members.

He said ever since the expulsion of the four youth leaders, SPYL has been affected negatively in terms of running its affairs effectively.

“The task of the current generation of our movement is to defend the movement’s standing in society within the parameters of our policies, principles and perspectives.

“The void caused by the absence of progressive leadership at the top echelon of SPYL has left the organisation without a clear coherent and sustainable programme of action,” he said.

Erongo Region SPYL executive committee member Reinhold Shitwikineni added that he fully supports Kashumali on the reinstatement of the four.

“I am also requesting the Swapo Central Committee to reinstate the expelled members in the positions they held,” he said.

The Swapo Four said they “salute the bravery of those that are standing up”.

Ngurare, however, added that he was committed to his job as quality assurance coordinator at the University of Namibia.

Amupanda, Nauyoma and Kambala, also known as the Affirmative Reposition (AR) trio, said they are committed to their cause and their responsibility of ensuring the land issue in Namibia is addressed, as well as empowering the youth through various activities.

Apart from the AR activities, Amupanda is also the deputy dean of the University of Namibia’s Faculty of Economics and Management Science.

Nauyoma says AR is his ‘daily bread’. He also serves as the Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) secretary-general.

Kambala, who is a student at Unam, said he is focused on his studies but committed to the cause of fighting for a better future for the Namibian youth.

KENYA KAMBOWE