WRP presses self-destruct button

Along with revelations that more than N$2 million in public funds were withdrawn from the party's bank account over seven months, which is being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission ACC), the Workers' Revolutionary Party (WRP) is also facing a mushrooming battle over the recall of its MPs from parliament.

WRP national chairperson August Maletzky, whose position is also unclear amid the chaos, has defended his letter to National Assembly speaker Professor Peter Katjavivi, in which he recalled the MPs.

Maletzky dismissed suggestions he wants to fill one of the WRP parliamentary seats, after the removal of WRP president Benson Kaapala and Salmon Fleermuys.

Allegations have been laid at Maletzky's door that he wants to take up one of the posts.

“I have no need to go to parliament; I am not hungry for parliament,” Maletzky countered yesterday.

“August Maletzky does not want to go to parliament. The rightful persons to go to parliament are Attie Beukes [president of the Communist Party] and his followers.”

He also denied ever having been removed as national chairperson and emphasised he acted strictly on the instructions of an April WRP central committee meeting.

Maletzky said both Kaapala and Fleermuys were informed they would have to appear before a disciplinary hearing and were dismissed from the party when they failed to show up. He said the two were duly informed of the charges against them prior to the meeting.

Maletzky further dismissed claims the signatures on the resolution were forged, saying the CC members that did sign “are prepared to go to parliament live and evict” Kaapala and Fleermuys.

“We had every right to expel them, but we availed to them all the procedures allowed to them in the constitution,” Maletzky said.

He accused Kaapala of running the party like his “individual property”, saying Kaapala had “handpicked” Klaus Weichhaus to act as secretary-general, while the party had elected Heidi Beukes at its 2015 congress.

Maletzky wrote to Katjavivi on 17 May saying the CC meeting held on 28 April had resolved that the two MPs are no longer members of the WRP and “must vacate” their parliamentary seats “with immediate effect”.

This letter was received by Katjavivi's office on 23 May.

Parliament's public relations officer, David Nahongandja, could not confirm if the MPs have indeed been asked to vacate their seats, but said the two have not received their parliamentary salaries last month.

According to documents seen by Namibian Sun, the 28 April CC meeting was held at Maletzky's African Labour & Human Rights Centre office, where Kaapala and Fleermuys were to have answered questions relating to party funding received from parliament.

They were also due to answer questions about the opening of the WRP's FNB account, as well as the appointment of Fleermuys and Weichhaus as the vice-president and acting secretary-general respectively.

Kaapala and Fleermuys did not attend the meeting.

According to the CC resolution, attached to the letter to Katjavivi, the two MPs were then suspended with immediate effect and given five days to react.

The resolution further said they would be expelled from the party if they do not give notice to oppose their suspensions.

The resolution bears the signatures of 16 of the 19 CC members.

Kaapala - elected as the WRP's president at a contested congress held op 17 May 2015 - claimed the signatories on the resolution are forged and said the meeting was not properly held, because the top four leaders (president, vice-president, SG, and treasurer) were not present.

“We were never invited to that meeting. How can I as the president be dismembered from the party? That can only be done at an extraordinary congress or conference.

“This is forgery; it was fraudulently done. It is a crime of its own order. Maletzky should be arrested. This is really bad for the country,” Kaapala said.

He said parliament has also made a mockery of itself by acting on Maletzky's orders.

“Professor Katjavivi knows the party is fighting. Where did he get the instructions from? Professor Katjavivi has accepted the so-called recall.”

He said his legal representative, Slysken Makando, has already written letters to parliament to challenge their recall.

Katjavivi said he does not endorse the removals of MPs, but acknowledged having received the letter.

Kaapala further said Maletzky had landed the position of national chairperson at the 2015 congress purely because the party needed a legal advisor at the time.

He said Maletzky has since been removed as legal advisor and could therefore no longer serve as the national chairperson.

“He [Maletzky] is not part of us; the people who participated in the 2014 [national] elections were former SWATF and Koevoet soldiers. It is shocking that he can recall me from the party,” said Kaapala.

Kaapala said Maletzky is “just a dreamer” who “cannot call a disciplinary hearing if the whole party is in conflict”.

Catherine Sasman