Lone ranger Netumbo prevails

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah defied the odds of not being endorsed by her party principals - a tradition long reserved for deputy leaders seeking to ascend to head of state - to retain her position as Swapo vice-president at the elective congress held in Windhoek.President Hage Geingob, who retained his position as head of the party by acclamation, did not endorse any candidates seeking the vice-president position, saying he wanted to be fair to all of them.His decision infuriated the Nandi-Ndaitwah camp, which felt the president was ignoring a long tradition from which he himself benefitted when he ascended to head of state.Speaking on The Agenda a week ago, Nandi-Ndaitwah said she did not have a problem with Geingob’s decision, adding that it created a level playing field.“There are a lot of new things happening in Swapo, including the way internal campaigns are being held. As time goes, certain things must change. I’ve no reason to doubt the sincerity of his decision [not to endorse anyone]”.Yesterday, the 70-year-old and her slate celebrated their overwhelming victory after nerve-wracking elections over the weekend bled into the new week.Her campaign mate Sophia Shaningwa retained her position as secretary-general, while another contender from their camp, Uahekua Herunga, garnered the most votes for deputy secretary-general, but not enough to be declared victorious.A rerun was underway last night between him and David Hamutenya to determine the winner.Lunchtime fateWhile Namibians were preparing to have their lunch yesterday, Nandi-Ndaitwah, Pohamba Shifeta and Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila readied to hear their fate on whether they will be the next Swapo vice-president.Nandi-Ndaitwah garnered 491 votes, followed by Kuugongelwa-Amadhila with 270 and Shifeta scrapping the remaining 91.Nandi-Ndaitwah is now expected to become Swapo’s official candidate in the 2024 national presidential election.She and her team ran on an anti-corruption ticket and promised to root out graft and incompetence within the ruling party.But despite her victory yesterday, Nandi-Ndaitwah struck a reconciliatory tone and vowed to work with everyone in the party. She embraced Shifeta and Kuugongelwa-Amadhila after she was declared the winner, reminiscent of similar scenes at the divisive 2017 congress.Repeat heroicsShaningwa, who together with Nandi-Ndaitwah ran on the Geingob slate in 2017, repeated her heroics from five years ago by winning against the same opponent - Armas Amukwiyu. She garnered 440 votes against her challenger’s 343.For the deputy secretary-general race, Herunga, Hamutenya and Evelyn Nawases-Tayele all failed to reach the 51% mark in the initial round.With Geingob, Nandi-Ndaitwah and Shaningwa already confirmed as the top three position holders, Nawases-Tayele was subsequently eliminated due to the party’s 50/50 gender policy, which dictates that the top four must comprise of two women and two men.This left only Hamutenya and Herunga in the race.Delegates could be heard grumbling after they were told they had to stay for the rerun - after already enduring intense congress deliberations since Friday morning.Shake handsThe ruling party, which has been in power for over three decades, has faced public backlash over an avalanche of social issues, including high unemployment, corruption, crime and a teetering economy.During his opening address on Friday, Geingob said he will support whoever emerges victorious.“No matter what the result, we must shake hands, congratulate the winners, embrace each other as comrades and commence the process of working together to take our country forward,” he urged.He added: “Irrespective of how the election for the position of vice-president turns out, we are now opening another great chapter in the history of the party and the country”.He also bashed those claiming there is no unity within the Swapo ranks.“We should not believe the prophets of doom who say that there is disunity within the Swapo Party. When comrades experience defeat at a congress because the delegates have chosen others instead of them, and they find themselves outside the structures of the Swapo Party, it should not be interpreted as division and disunity.On the contrary, it is part of the democratic process, which we as members and sympathisers have agreed to entrench in the constitution of the Swapo Party,” he said.Results for the rerun of the deputy secretary-general position and those for the central committee were not out by time of going to press last night.

Lone ranger Netumbo prevails

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-05

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Lone ranger Netumbo prevails

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-05

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