Helmut sticks to his guns over amendments
It’s no secret that Swapo’s 2018 amendments - which saw stiffer requirements introduced for those who wish to contest for top positions - is haunting the party.
The political saliva is dripping from the mouths of several potential candidates who yearn to be part of the contest slated for November at the elective congress; however, many can only dream of a taste of Swapo’s proverbial pot.
The so-called Helmut Amendments stipulate that those who wish to run for the party presidency must have served 10 years “persistently and consistently” in the central committee as well as be a member of the party for a minimum of 20 uninterrupted years.
These requirements, seen by many as an artificial barrier to fair contestation, are out of reach for many names that made the rounds in recent months, such as ministers Frans Kapofi and Tom Alweendo, amongst others.
But the man who initially proposed those changes said he should not be blamed for the predicament the party currently finds itself in, with some insiders describing the amendments as “political kamikaze”.
Out in the cold
Former Swapo politburo member Helmut Angula said those questioning the current requirements are irked by the fact that a woman is earmarked to take up the vice-president position, which is currently also occupied by a woman.
With Geingob standing unopposed, the party’s 50:50 gender policy thus dictates that the vice-president should be a woman.
“The reason why people decided to call it the Helmut Amendments is because they wanted to take it out of context by aligning my name with the youth so they see me as the block that is preventing them.
“The fact of the matter is that I am no longer there. People are agitated because they can see now that only female candidates are available,” an unbothered Angula said yesterday.
He said those who were not in agreement with the amendments had five years to review them, yet nothing was done, adding that he will not take blame now that many potential candidates are left out in the cold.
He also questioned why the amendments are attributed to him if they were endorsed by the collective, saying there were other changes made at prior congresses yet they were not attributed to an individual.
Stop endorsements
Angula further took aim at the culture of endorsing candidates for top leadership positions, describing it as “unconstitutional” and adding that it should come to an end.
His sentiments come at a time when Geingob is said to go into the party’s elective congress in November unopposed, a move he also said was “unconstitutional”.
Not so long ago, the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) held its elective congress where its top two leaders Ephraim Nekongo and Christine Haindaka were elected unopposed into the secretary and deputy secretary positions respectively.
It is on this basis Angula argued that for candidates to go into a congress endorsed and not to be challenged is undemocratic and against the Swapo Party constitution.
“It is unconstitutional because the constitution of Swapo says that every position has to be contested. No one is prohibited by the party’s constitution to be nominated. Legally speaking, it should be done like that.
“Does it mean it is prohibited to nominate a presidential candidate? All those people who are in charge, they are making a cardinal mistake. The constitution says no endorsement as every position is electable.”
Two-woman race
Angula said because Geingob will not be challenged at the upcoming congress, it automatically means the vice-president of Swapo will be a woman.
“Actually, they should have just let it happen. Now it would be ridiculous for a male candidate to be nominated for the vice presidency position because the president will be male.”
At this week’s Swapo politburo meeting, Saara Kuugogelwa-Amadhila and Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah emerged as the two candidates who will contest for the Swapo vice presidency, however more nominations can emerge from the party’s central committee meeting scheduled to take place on Saturday.
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The political saliva is dripping from the mouths of several potential candidates who yearn to be part of the contest slated for November at the elective congress; however, many can only dream of a taste of Swapo’s proverbial pot.
The so-called Helmut Amendments stipulate that those who wish to run for the party presidency must have served 10 years “persistently and consistently” in the central committee as well as be a member of the party for a minimum of 20 uninterrupted years.
These requirements, seen by many as an artificial barrier to fair contestation, are out of reach for many names that made the rounds in recent months, such as ministers Frans Kapofi and Tom Alweendo, amongst others.
But the man who initially proposed those changes said he should not be blamed for the predicament the party currently finds itself in, with some insiders describing the amendments as “political kamikaze”.
Out in the cold
Former Swapo politburo member Helmut Angula said those questioning the current requirements are irked by the fact that a woman is earmarked to take up the vice-president position, which is currently also occupied by a woman.
With Geingob standing unopposed, the party’s 50:50 gender policy thus dictates that the vice-president should be a woman.
“The reason why people decided to call it the Helmut Amendments is because they wanted to take it out of context by aligning my name with the youth so they see me as the block that is preventing them.
“The fact of the matter is that I am no longer there. People are agitated because they can see now that only female candidates are available,” an unbothered Angula said yesterday.
He said those who were not in agreement with the amendments had five years to review them, yet nothing was done, adding that he will not take blame now that many potential candidates are left out in the cold.
He also questioned why the amendments are attributed to him if they were endorsed by the collective, saying there were other changes made at prior congresses yet they were not attributed to an individual.
Stop endorsements
Angula further took aim at the culture of endorsing candidates for top leadership positions, describing it as “unconstitutional” and adding that it should come to an end.
His sentiments come at a time when Geingob is said to go into the party’s elective congress in November unopposed, a move he also said was “unconstitutional”.
Not so long ago, the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) held its elective congress where its top two leaders Ephraim Nekongo and Christine Haindaka were elected unopposed into the secretary and deputy secretary positions respectively.
It is on this basis Angula argued that for candidates to go into a congress endorsed and not to be challenged is undemocratic and against the Swapo Party constitution.
“It is unconstitutional because the constitution of Swapo says that every position has to be contested. No one is prohibited by the party’s constitution to be nominated. Legally speaking, it should be done like that.
“Does it mean it is prohibited to nominate a presidential candidate? All those people who are in charge, they are making a cardinal mistake. The constitution says no endorsement as every position is electable.”
Two-woman race
Angula said because Geingob will not be challenged at the upcoming congress, it automatically means the vice-president of Swapo will be a woman.
“Actually, they should have just let it happen. Now it would be ridiculous for a male candidate to be nominated for the vice presidency position because the president will be male.”
At this week’s Swapo politburo meeting, Saara Kuugogelwa-Amadhila and Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah emerged as the two candidates who will contest for the Swapo vice presidency, however more nominations can emerge from the party’s central committee meeting scheduled to take place on Saturday.
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