EDITORIAL: How did Netumbo fare in her maiden Swapo test?

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah endured a baptism of fire yesterday, as she walked the tightrope to appease different demographics in the party after the so-called pot cooked and a very late lunch was served. She emerged with minimal burns on her fingers, but only time will heal the many broken hearts.First, she has largely kept her promise of maintaining intra-party unity by embracing those who rivaled her at the 2022 congress, especially Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, whom she appointed to her list of 10 nominees.The inclusion of Dr Elijah Ngurare, who served in the rival ‘Team Swapo’ campaign that butted heads with her own ‘Team Harambee’ slate, is also an indication of a leader willing to mend relations and restore unity - which has become a rare commodity in the ruling party. Ngurare’s integrity is beyond reproach. He is a staunch devotee to the Swapo rules and principles and, in his current job in the agriculture ministry, he has done an incredible job in spearheading rural water supply to many corners of Namibia with a limited budget.The appointment of Fenny Tutjavi - the 22-year-old Nanso secretary-general who cut her teeth in politics in the Erongo Region, initially as part of the Swapo Party Pioneers Movement - will also appease the youth in some way. It is the inclusion of Alpheus !Naruseb that is contentious, given his battles with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over his perceived hand in the allocation of a resettlement farm to the son of former minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa. That, and the fact that he is 70 years old, has left a few questions about logic and rationale.

EDITORIAL: How did Netumbo fare in her maiden Swapo test?

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-09

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EDITORIAL: How did Netumbo fare in her maiden Swapo test?

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-09

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