SPYL endorsements a ‘Netumbo boost’

Unopposed endorsements by the Swapo Party Youth League’s (SPYL) central committee - for secretary Ephraim Nekongo and his deputy Christine Haindaka to retain their positions at the league’s upcoming congress - are perceived as a huge boost for Swapo vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s presidential ambitions.Nandi-Ndaitwah is one of the leading contenders to replace President Hage Geingob as head of state in 2025, and her supporters have been calling for her natural ascendance to power by virtue of her party position.Two camps, one led by Nekongo and the other spearheaded by Kunene governor Marius Sheya, battled out for the soul of the youth league, which is expected to command huge influence at Swapo’s own elective congress later this year. Sheya is perceived to be loyal to Geingob, while Nekongo is known to be a Nandi-Ndaitwah supporter.Some accused Nekongo of using "dirty tricks" to advance his political agenda.Trouble started brewing last Saturday morning when central committee members expressed displeasure that they were only given their information packs, which contained the agenda, on the day of the meeting. Others only got their packs at the venue.This, youth league insiders said, was done deliberately to conceal plans to bulldoze the plot to give Nekongo and Haindaka the privilege of retaining their positions without being challenged.The sole candidacy endorsement was a hot topic at the meeting, which lasted close to six hours.Nekongo yesterday said there was nothing untoward about the process.UnproceduralSPYL Khomas regional secretary Paulus Emmanuel and former national executive committee (NEC) member Sheya were some of the notable critics of the move.Emmanuel was first out of the blocks, saying the move was premature and disadvantaged potential contenders.According to central committee insiders, Emmanuel said the regions were not given an opportunity to nominate their candidates and that there was no indication given that regions should send through names of any individuals who wish to contest.The fact that restructuring in the regions is not complete also did not sit well with some of the antagonists of the decision to endorse the SPYL top two.Sheya, once an ally of Nekongo, also did not mince his words when he took the floor to caution that the move was ill-advised. Sheya was chucked out of the SPYL NEC towards the end of last year, a move he described as unprocedural.Locked outThe move to endorse Nekongo and his deputy has since eliminated potential contenders from the race to lead SPYL for the next five years.Some names - such as Willem Amutenya, Fillemon Shikomba and former Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) leaders Timothy Angala and Simon Taapopi - have been making the rounds as possible challengers.Shikomba, who has publicly indicated that he plans to contest for the SPYL top position, yesterday said “the endorsement is not final; it is just a political trick to push voters into a particular direction”.“I want to run for that position because I know certainly that the current SPYL leadership has not been committed to service, which is why the president appointed young people from outside the structures to Parliament,” he said.He added: “They have no agenda to tackle the issue of youth unemployment; they are not aware of the evolution of politics; they do not have the courage to stand up to corruption and have been linked to Fishrot.“The endorsement is being perpetuated by central committee members who will be voted out at congress; they do not have power to impose a candidate on the people, that takes away from the purpose of an election and the voting process.”Angala was nominated from the floor by Konyika Kandume at Saturday’s central committee meeting, however, no one seconded his nomination.There are talks of a Nanso purge within the SPYL ranks, with many harbouring the feeling that Geingob has in recent years overlooked SPYL leaders for Nanso leaders when it comes to appointments.‘Untrue’A central committee source who spoke to Namibian Sun said it was surprising that Angala failed to land the much-needed secondment. One of those who apparently lobbied for him was central committee member Sharonice Busch.“Busch went around calling central committee members days before the meeting, lobbying for Angala. Some of us were surprised that she did not put up her hand to second his nomination. Or was she perhaps afraid to be seen as anti-Nekongo?” the source asked.Busch yesterday said “this is untrue and devoid of any truth”.When approached yesterday, Angala said there has been an anti-Nanso agenda for a while and the fact that his nomination was not accepted with dignity was an injustice to the youth who believe in him.“The Nanso blockade may have been a contributing factor, but not the entire reason my nomination was shot down. I am not part of the central committee and it was made very clear that I don’t have their blessing because I did not come through the structures.“There are talks that people were bribed to destroy my nomination and there was even an intelligence officer present who observed the process. The same intelligence officer escorted me from the venue later that evening, even though he is not part of the central committee,” he said.The congress is slated to take place in August, with the SPYL leadership yet to decide on the venue.jemima@namibiansun.com

SPYL endorsements a ‘Netumbo boost’

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Namibian Sun 2026-08-05

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SPYL endorsements a ‘Netumbo boost’

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Namibian Sun 2026-08-05

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