Swapo infighting at Kalkrand
Disgruntled Swapo members at Kalkrand are grumbling about the district's election process, claiming the new leadership was elected irregularly.
Infighting for leadership positions continues unabated ahead of the Swapo elective congress in November this year.
Some Swapo members in Kalkrand have rejected the results of a recently held district conference and want the outcome to be nullified.
The aggrieved officials claim some party members were deliberately excluded from taking part in the conference.
The alleged exclusion took place at Schlip on 9 June during the nomination of delegates for the Kalkrand district to attend the planned Hardap Swapo regional conference where delegates for the party's congress are to be nominated.
The branch members also claimed to be in possession of damaging evidence of fraud, falsification of documents and false statements under oath, and bribery.
Aggrieved members, in a letter to the media, described the exercise as a 'pseudo' Swapo district conference they say was it is in total disregard of the party's constitution and ethics.
The allegations are that the conference took place without any formal invitation to all the branches and that there was no agenda set.
They say Swapo's Kalkrand branch was not invited.
The members blamed chairperson of the Hardap Regional Council, Edward Wambo, and other leading party officials for the chaotic meeting.
The letter particularly pointed fingers at Wambo as the architect of the “dirty campaign” as the leadership of the Rehoboth Rural District, under his guidance, opts for “disunity.”
The letter further alleged the police presence stifled democracy at the grassroots level where the party's serving leaders allegedly manipulated processes in order to retain their positions.
“This was the biggest travesty of justice and destruction of democracy by Wambo and his cohorts,” the aggrieved party members stated. Swapo secretary-general Nangolo Mbumba when contacted said if the Kalkrand district elections were not conducted in line with party procedures, they will be nullified.
“A district election cannot take place in the absence of some of the structures which compose the district,” Mbumba told Namibian Sun.
Mbumba maintained that in accordance with the party's constitution, all branches must be present during the election for the party district leadership.
“The nomination of candidates must be so that the best candidate must be elected through majority votes,” Mbumba stated.
He directed that the regional leadership of Swapo must provide answers as they supervised district activities.
Regional Swapo coordinator for Hardap Reverend Stephanus Tiboth could not comment on the allegations of exclusion, saying the executive committee has not yet convened to discuss the issue.
“Once the committee meets and pronounces itself on the alleged irregularity, I can comment about the Kalkrand district elections,” he said.
When contacted for comment, Wambo alleged those complaining do not want to recognise Hendrik Alcock is the Swapo district coordinator, adding he (Alcock) is the only one who can address their allegations.
“I am not at district level. The regional leadership only supervises the district nomination process and not selection of delegates to such conferences,” he emphasised.
He further denied that Nampol members were used as returning officers.
“Police were called in to assist with security,” he said and explained that the Kalkrand branch meeting which was called to nominate delegates to the district conference was disrupted and never took place.
FRED GOEIEMAN
Some Swapo members in Kalkrand have rejected the results of a recently held district conference and want the outcome to be nullified.
The aggrieved officials claim some party members were deliberately excluded from taking part in the conference.
The alleged exclusion took place at Schlip on 9 June during the nomination of delegates for the Kalkrand district to attend the planned Hardap Swapo regional conference where delegates for the party's congress are to be nominated.
The branch members also claimed to be in possession of damaging evidence of fraud, falsification of documents and false statements under oath, and bribery.
Aggrieved members, in a letter to the media, described the exercise as a 'pseudo' Swapo district conference they say was it is in total disregard of the party's constitution and ethics.
The allegations are that the conference took place without any formal invitation to all the branches and that there was no agenda set.
They say Swapo's Kalkrand branch was not invited.
The members blamed chairperson of the Hardap Regional Council, Edward Wambo, and other leading party officials for the chaotic meeting.
The letter particularly pointed fingers at Wambo as the architect of the “dirty campaign” as the leadership of the Rehoboth Rural District, under his guidance, opts for “disunity.”
The letter further alleged the police presence stifled democracy at the grassroots level where the party's serving leaders allegedly manipulated processes in order to retain their positions.
“This was the biggest travesty of justice and destruction of democracy by Wambo and his cohorts,” the aggrieved party members stated. Swapo secretary-general Nangolo Mbumba when contacted said if the Kalkrand district elections were not conducted in line with party procedures, they will be nullified.
“A district election cannot take place in the absence of some of the structures which compose the district,” Mbumba told Namibian Sun.
Mbumba maintained that in accordance with the party's constitution, all branches must be present during the election for the party district leadership.
“The nomination of candidates must be so that the best candidate must be elected through majority votes,” Mbumba stated.
He directed that the regional leadership of Swapo must provide answers as they supervised district activities.
Regional Swapo coordinator for Hardap Reverend Stephanus Tiboth could not comment on the allegations of exclusion, saying the executive committee has not yet convened to discuss the issue.
“Once the committee meets and pronounces itself on the alleged irregularity, I can comment about the Kalkrand district elections,” he said.
When contacted for comment, Wambo alleged those complaining do not want to recognise Hendrik Alcock is the Swapo district coordinator, adding he (Alcock) is the only one who can address their allegations.
“I am not at district level. The regional leadership only supervises the district nomination process and not selection of delegates to such conferences,” he emphasised.
He further denied that Nampol members were used as returning officers.
“Police were called in to assist with security,” he said and explained that the Kalkrand branch meeting which was called to nominate delegates to the district conference was disrupted and never took place.
FRED GOEIEMAN
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