Amukwiyu unmoved by ‘fly-by-night’ IPC's Oshikoto inroads

Swapo Party’s Oshikoto coordinator Armas Amukwiyu says he is not moved by the massive recruitment drive in the region by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which he labelled a ‘fly-by-night’ party.

Opposition parties do not stand a chance at making a dent in Oshikoto, he said.

Amukwiyu was reacting to concerns by Swapo members over the perceived sluggish reaction by the party’s regional leadership to opposition parties, particularly IPC, recruiting thousands of people in the region.

IPC is making positive strides in recruiting new members from the ruling party in Oshikoto. With the region being one of Swapo Party’s key strongholds, the IPC infiltration has sent some party members into a tailspin.

However, according to Amukwiyu, Oshikoto belongs to Swapo and that will be proven in the general elections scheduled for November.

‘Trendsetters’

“As leaders, we don't merely react, we set the pace, we set the trends. There's no need for knee-jerk reactions from our regional leadership. We are not merely a reactionary force, we are trendsetters,” he said.

“Our dominance in the Oshikoto Region is not up for debate. The political landscape here belongs to Swapo, and it will remain so long after the upcoming national elections.

“With our extensive structures of over 600 sections, more than 200 branches and a presence in 11 districts, Swapo is deeply rooted in the fabric of Oshikoto. Our active structures stand as a bulwark against any fleeting movements or fly-by-night initiatives, including the IPC," Amukwiyu said.

‘We mean business’

When contacted for comment, IPC spokesperson Immanuel Nashinge said the party has been on the ground in all Namibia's regions.

IPC has infiltrated Oshikoto as well as other Swapo strongholds such as the Omusati Region, he said.

According to him, people are a joining the party consciously and not because they are 'promised cooking oil and maize meal’.

“We entered a long time ago. Oshikoto is ours. That is why the coordinator of Oshikoto is quiet. Even if you go to Omusati, we can have meetings any time of the day, everywhere, and there is no intimidation whatsoever,” Nashinge said.

“Everything we do is genuine. When we are recruiting, there is a process we do for due diligence. It is not these things of 15 people who joined Swapo from IPC. In the past, we took boxes to the Swapo head office, you can ask them. We are not doing anything for clout, we mean business,” he noted.

“It is not only in the northern parts, but it’s also happening in the south, west and east. We are not going around asking people to join, but they are doing it consciously. We are not promising bags of maize and cooking oil.”

Untrue claims

The upcoming presidential and National Assembly elections will be testament to the party’s hard work as people have been liberated, Nashinge said.

He added that allegations that pensioners will no longer receive their monthly grant should IPC ascend to power are not truthful. He also rubbished claims that a civil war will erupt if the party is successful in the November elections.

Nashinge said countries such as Zambia and Senegal have proven that peace can be maintained when a new political party takes over, and the same will happen in Namibia.

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