Swartbooi lashes 'corrupt' Swapo

Ousted Swapo parliamentarian Bernadus Swartbooi yesterday announced his exit from the ruling party but quelled speculation that he is about to form a new political organisation.

Speaking to a large crowd that gathered at the Red Flag Commando Hall in Katutura for a press briefing yesterday, Swartbooi said his conscience did not allow himself to remain part of Swapo. “It is a good day for me, a day the Lord has made,” a defiant Swartbooi said, adding that he could now sleep peacefully after having been recalled as Swapo MP.

“My life continues on a great highway forward and I thank all those members of Swapo that have been good and cordial to me over the years,” he said.

Swartbooi said his ousting from parliament was “not a surprise”, given the intolerance of people freely expressing divergent views.

“In fact I worked it,” he said of the ousting. He added that questions about how he was going to survive were irrelevant.

“We are servants of the people,” he said.

“I want to thank the dictators of the Swapo Party for granting us the freedom by kicking us out of parliament so that we are able to do the work of agitation even more sharply, even more publicly.

“We can now engage in a robust process through which we will expose their corrupt deeds, expose their networks and say to the Namibian people every day from now on until the next elections and beyond that there is no place for the corrupt nincompoop and incapable leadership that has bankrupted this country.”

He said he considered himself to be on “a journey of a historic democratic mission”, which would allow Namibia to make great strides economically and otherwise instead of sliding into an abyss of bankruptcy and oppression.

“I have remained steadfast in stating my position on various matters and have at all times committed myself to speaking the truth precisely when it was difficult.

“While Namibia is acclaimed with a good constitution, the leaders are often the most intolerant and undemocratic beings, reflecting a total rejection of the values espoused in that document.”

He further said that Swapo, like many other former liberation movements turned governments, was “imploding”.

“The implosion of Swapo is about to happen. It has begun to happen, it is split right down the middle, and the reason why Swapo Party continues to get the kinds of votes it gets is simply because around 40% of the population has seen no reason to vote, and those that go and vote find no alternative to vote for,” he said.



“Corruption is part of the central DNA of the party leadership,” Swartbooi ventured, saying no one was held accountable for the closure of the SME Bank and billions of dollars lost elsewhere.



Swartbooi was swiftly removed as Swapo MP after a decision by the Politburo on Monday, presumably because of controversial statements he had made at a dinner of the Landless People's Movement (LPM) at Keetmanshoop where he denounced his membership of the ruling party.







'Geingob promises'



Swartbooi yesterday claimed that part of his ousting had to do with the fact that he had refused to fight off President Hage Geingob's political rivals at the upcoming Swapo congress.



He claimed that Geingob had been seeking a meeting with him over the past four months, sending messengers who suggested that he would be “rewarded” with a ministerial position if he fought off the likes of Oshikoto regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu, businessmen Lazarus Jacobs and Desmond Amunyela and Swapo leader Kazenambo Kazenambo.



Swartbooi said he declined the offer and further fell out of favour with the powers that be.



Presidential spokesperson Albertus Aochamub did not respond to a question in this regard sent to him.







Others leaving



Fellow LPM activists like Henny Seibeb said they would also resign from Swapo and continue to “dedicate their lives to the work” of the movement, which includes advocating ancestral land rights.



The LPM said it would also put on its agenda the fight against corruption and tribalism, and would seek to work with other institutions such as churches to create platforms where “national spiritual and psychological renewal” could be brought about.



Seibeb said the LPM would call for a commission of inquiry into the state of the Namibian economy and the billions dubiously unaccounted for.

CATHERINE SASMAN