Calls to nullify Nekongo, Haindaka endorsements

Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) member Timotheus Angala has written a complaint letter to the party’s secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa, asking the ruling party to nullify the endorsements of current SPYL secretary Ephraim Nekongo and his deputy Christine Haindaka.

Angala, himself an aspiring candidate for the SPYL secretary’s position, argued that the process followed for the endorsements was irregular.

At a recent meeting, the SPYL central committee endorsed Nekongo and Haindaka as sole candidates for the positions they hold ahead of the league’s elective congress.

This, youth league insiders say, was done deliberately to conceal plans to bulldoze the plot to give the pair an advantage and close out any prospective challengers.

Speaking to Namibian Sun, Angala said it was his hope for the matter to be discussed in the interest of party democracy.

“If the party leadership doesn't nullify the sole candidate nomination, we as the youth will find other constitutional avenues to ensure that the process of electing the secretary and deputy secretary is inclusive and democratic,” he said.

“This is not solely about me but many other SPYL members who are equally qualified and have potential to take the party to greatness,” he added.

Reverse it, or else

Speaking on The Evening Review last night, another aspirant for the SPYL secretary position, Fillemon Shikomba, said the endorsements were made while the process of renewal of mandates by the league’s structures was incomplete.

“If they don’t reverse this, I’ll challenge it is court,” he said.

Addressing Shaningwa, party president Hage Geingob and party vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Angala said nominations and elections of office-bearers ought to be the last step in terms of the renewal of mandates within the party.

“The renewal of mandates starts at sections, then branches, then districts and finally regions. The regions also nominate candidates for central committee for the position of secretary and deputy secretary if they have candidates,” he said.

The notion of sole candidates was further imposed on central committee members, with discrimination and unethical activities mostly being used, Angala added.

According to him, regional secretaries being part of the central committee did not mean they can exclusively decide on the nominations of national office-bearers without seeking the consent of the regional leadership at the level of the regional executive committee at a well constituted meeting or regional conference.

He cautioned that circumventing due process was causing apathy within the party.

“The notion of sole candidate has brought the party in disrepute and many members are questioning if the process of constatation for position in the SPYL is democratic, especially at national level. The circumvention of the process of democratic process has become a habit now and is causing political apathy in the young leaders at lower structures of the SPYL.”

Nullify

Angala asked that the sole endorsements of Nekongo and Haindaka be nullified.

“We request that the endorsement be nullified and finally the regions to be allowed to conclude the process of the renewal of mandates be requested to nominate the candidates if there are any from the regions. Only then can the central committee of SPYL meet to consider nominations by the national executive committee, the regions and any other nomination,” he said.

Contacted for comment, Shaningwa said there was no reason to react to the letter by Angala.

“Why should I comment? So what?” she asked.

Nekongo, for his part, said he had not received any communication relating to the withdrawal of endorsements.

“I am not aware of it. I think the secretary-general [Shaningwa] will be able to answer,” he said.