Swapo to convene extraordinary congress to elect new president

Swapo is expected to convene an extraordinary congress within the next three months to elect its president, following the unfortunate death of President Hage Geingob, who was also the leader of the ruling party.

Article 15 (9) of the Swapo constitution requires that, under these circumstances, the Swapo central committee – the highest decision-making body between the congresses – must convene an elective congress within the next three months.

This also means that whoever is elected president at that congress automatically becomes the party’s candidate in the November 2024 national presidential election.

Back to the drawing board

Swapo had already declared its vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as its candidate in that election, but the party seems poised to go back to the drawing board in this regard.

With Nandi-Ndaitwah appointed the country’s vice-president yesterday, there are signs that Swapo leaders will push to ensure she emerges as the party’s presidential candidate for November. She is also expected to be elevated to acting party president until the extraordinary congress.

However, Nandi-Ndaitwah would have to vacate her position as vice-president of the party in order to contest for the position of party president. It is not clear if anyone would make themselves available for the position of party president and challenge Nandi-Ndaitwah.

If no challengers emerge, it is likely that Nandi-Ndaitwah will be endorsed as party president and thus the party’s official candidate in the national election.

Mandatory process

According to the constitution of Swapo, the position of party president cannot be attained by automatic acclamation, meaning elections are mandatory – unless there are no challengers.

“We have people like Jerry Ekandjo who have been demanding an extraordinary congress, so it’s hard to think that there would be no challengers,” a Swapo source told Namibian Sun yesterday.

"Ideally, Swapo wouldn’t want another contest for positions ahead of the national election, but Netumbo can also not just be appointed to the position. It’s an elective position, therefore, elections are mandatory, unless there are no challengers.”

Another party official predicts that Mbumba, who is now state president, would have to be wheeled into the top four positions of the party in order to create a link between Swapo and its government.

“If Netumbo vacates the vice-president position in Swapo in order to contest for the party presidency, there will be a vacancy in the ‘top four’, which Mbumba can then fill. You cant’ have a state president who doesn’t sit on the highest platform of the party. He’s a politburo member, but that’s no longer sufficient for a state president,” he said.

“In any case, the position of party vice-president is no longer sought-after due to the prevailing dynamics, so if Mbumba’s name is proposed, I don’t think anyone would object and avail themselves to challenge him – so why not give it to him?”

Path to the top

Geingob became Swapo vice-president in 2012, a position he held until the 2017 congress, where he was elected party president. At the 2022 congress, no one challenged his re-election bid, and he was therefore deemed re-elected to the position.

Nandi-Ndaitwah became Swapo vice-president at the 2017 congress and was re-elected to the position in 2022.

As of yesterday, Swapo had still not pronounced itself on the mandatory congress it must hold. No comment could be obtained from party secretary general Sophia Shaningwa.