Rukoro explains N$100k donation to Geingob campaign

JEMIMA BEUKESWINDHOEKA spokesperson of Ovaherero Paramount Chief Vekuii Rukoro has confirmed the traditional leader and his family donated N$100 000 towards President Hage Geingob's 2017 Swapo congress aspirations, but denied this was in return for any favours.Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) spokesperson Professor Mutjinde Katjiua strenuously denied talks that Rukoro had lobbied for Geingob in order to secure an appointment as the country's prime minister.The donation helped Geingob cruise to the position of Swapo president at the 2017 congress, thus becoming the party's official candidate for the 2019 national presidential election, which he won.Revelations of the donation by Rukoro – a former deputy minister of justice who later served as attorney general – surfaced on an OTA WhatsApp group last week where debates raged about the appointment of Nudo president Esther Utjiua Muinjangue as the country's deputy minister of health. The OTA recalled Muinjangue as the chairperson of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation (OGF) following her appointment as deputy minister by President Hage Geingob, claiming her new position exposes her to an “incurable” conflict of interest.Rukoro's advisor on political and governmental affairs and veteran politician Arnold Tjihuiko has since accused Rukoro of double standards on the WhatsApp group, while alluding to Rukoro lobbying for Geingob ahead of the 2017 Swapo congress.“Was it not me and you that took N$100 000 and donated to Geingob during his campaign? Which [government] are you talking about? Were you not the one who pestered us to lobby so that you get appointed as prime minister?” Tjihuiko was quoted as saying on the WhatsApp group. He was not available for comment.Katjiua told Namibian Sun yesterday that the N$100 000 was a transparent payment by Rukoro and his family.According to him, the allegation that Rukoro had been gunning for the prime minister post was rumour-mongering aimed at tarnishing the image of the paramount chief.“Yes, it was made publicly and announced at a public event, at a soccer stadium. It was never discussed at any platform of the OTA. “It is a political matter, the paramount chief is a member of Swapo, I am a member of Swanu and a couple of other OTA members are members of Nudo, so therefore that issue was never discussed at the OTA meeting. It is a private and political issue, the chief can give money to whomever he wants,” he said. Public falloutRelations between Rukoro and the Geingob administration have been frosty over the past few years.In 2016, Rukoro slammed the government over “gimmicks” on the issue of the German genocide in Namibia and reparations for the affected communities.He implied that Geingob was against the Ovaherero and Nama communities. “Mr President, what is your issue with us? What have the Ovaherero and Nama people done to you? We are fighting with the German government, we don't have an issue with you,” Rukoro said at the time.In 2018. Rukoro boycotted the second national land conference, organised by Geingob, and lobbied his followers to do the same.jemima@namibiansun.com

Rukoro explains N$100k donation to Geingob campaign

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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Rukoro explains N$100k donation to Geingob campaign

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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