Shaningwa flabbergasted by congress gripes
Shaningwa flabbergasted by congress gripes

Shaningwa flabbergasted by congress gripes

The Swapo SG says there is no need for an audit, since election observers declared the elections at last year's party congress free and fair.
Jemima Beukes
Swapo secretary-general (SG) Sophia Shaningwa is flabbergasted by calls for the 2017 ruling party elective congress to be probed and for the results to be independently audited.

The November congress elected President Hage Geingob as party president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as vice-president, Shaningwa as SG and Marco Hausiku as deputy SG.

According to Shaningwa, the candidates who lost accepted the outcome and even “congratulated the winners” when they were asked to raise concerns or grievances after the elections.

She was responding to a demand for an independent audit by four Swapo members - Nambata Angula, the daughter of congress presidential candidate Nahas Angula, as well as Mirjam Shituula, Selma Nambago and Seth Boois.

Shaningwa said she had never seen the letter dated 12 February 2018, in which the four party members set out their demands and gripes.

She emphasised there was no need for an audit, since election observers had declared the elections free and fair.

The authors of the letter, however, said it would be historically wrong if they allowed the party to sweep under the carpet “so many irregularities” that took place at the congress.

“We do take note that before the sixth congress there were many complaints of constitutional violations. These complaints are well documented. In short, many things were done unconstitutionally including the composition of some Swapo district conferences, regional conferences and even the wings, such as the elders' council and the youth league.

“The incumbent SG (Nangolo Mbumba), on the direction of acting (party) president Hage Geingob seem to have taken a decision that the only way victory would be secured is to ensure that the rules must be broken and the constitution being violated (sic),” the letter states.

They further said that Aranos never held a district conference to elect congress delegates, and that delegates from some regions were handpicked.

“It was summed up by one member of the incumbent team Mandela Kapere in a newspaper, when he boasted about (how they had) secured victory through police intimidation and (the) harassment of Swapo Party Youth League Congress, saying 'we have a strategy for (the) Swapo Party Congress too',” the letter added.

The group also accused former President Hifikepunye Pohamba of openly campaigning for Team Harambee, as Geingob and his slate were known, while “rubbishing Team Swapo”, which was the opposing faction at the congress.

The group said despite all this, they had made peace and wished to move on, but they were upset by Geingob firing two Team Swapo members, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana and Jerry Ekandjo, from his cabinet because of their lack of loyalty.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-29

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