Nawatiseb: LPM flirt was for a job opportunity

Former deputy information minister Engel Nawatiseb says he joined the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) due to a job offer that existed in the opposition party, and insists that he never officially resigned from Swapo.

But LPM, which is understood to have allocated a party vehicle to Nawatiseb as part of his job, insisted that the former deputy minister was a card-carrying member of the party since January. His migration to LPM was officially announced at the beginning of this year.

Nawatiseb, who lost his ministerial job in 2020 after failing to make it to parliament, said he remains a bona-fide member of Swapo.

He told Namibian Sun that while he had planned to leave Swapo, it never came to fruition due to the death of late president Hage Geingob, which he said interrupted his plans to formally resign from the party.

In a short media statement earlier this week, Nawatiseb announced his return to Swapo, saying he decided to part ways with LPM with immediate effect.

“The resolve was taken following consultation with my family in the best interest of the LPM founding members, its leader Bernardus Swartbooi and further to protect my personal integrity, reputation and credibility as well as the image of my clan and elders,” he wrote.

“When I left Swapo, I never resigned, because the time I expected to resign coincided with the official mourning period. I am still a member of Swapo,” Nawatiseb said.

Unfavourable

His supposed LPM membership had to do with a job offer he received, which he later found to be unfavourable, Nawatiseb furthered.

“This has to do with a job offer that I got, for which I showed my capacity. If an employment opportunity is not opportune, I will go. It was just a job opportunity I was looking for,” he said.

He added that it was now up to Swapo to decide whether the party would allow him to continue serving as a member, or cancel his membership.

“It is up to them if they want to fire me; it is up to them. I am just a member of the family.”

No offer made

LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa yesterday maintained that Nawatiseb is still a party member.

“The office of the operative secretary of LPM did receive official communication from Nawatiseb that he will be leaving the party. He was a card-carrying member of the party since January this year,” Simataa said.

“Nawatiseb approached the party, expressing that he would like to be part of the movement and that he believed in the values and work done by the party.”

According to him, Nawatiseb offered to mobilise supporters for LPM in Tsumeb, and that no job offer was made to him.

“He was adamant that he was not joining for rank or favour, but because he craved change and wanted to see it; that he wanted to put his skills to use. He was adamant on joining and mobilising in Tsumeb. No job offer was made; no portfolio was created,” Simataa stressed.

To be discussed

Meanwhile, Swapo coordinator for the Oshikoto Region Armas Amukwiyu said a decision on Nawatiseb’s future within the party would have to be discussed by Swapo’s leadership.

“It is up to the collective leadership of the party. It calls for the rules and constitution [to be discussed] in terms of what it means, so that requires collective leadership,” he said.

According to Amukwiyu, no record was available to indicate whether Nawatiseb resigned from Swapo.

“We did not receive anything of that sort. We only heard of it through the media.”