Swapo told to embrace ‘its Fishrot tag’

The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has hit out at Swapo after defence minister Frans Kapofi attempted to distance the party from Fishrot over claims that individuals, rather than Swapo itself, benefitted handsomely from the alleged bribery scandal. Kapofi over the weekend said it was not the party that benefitted from corrupt activities - despite a Supreme Court ruling that Fishrot, ran by individuals in high political office, had spilled over to the Swapo Party.PDM secretary-general Manuel Ngaringombe said it was impossible to separate the party from its members, who include former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau and former justice minister Sacky Shanghala, both of whom are implicated in the matter.“It is important to note that these individuals conducted their dubious activities under the auspices of the party they represented. Therefore, it is impossible to disentangle these acts of corruption from the party they serve,” Ngaringombe said. Democracy not a Swapo artefact He also took issue with comments made by Khomas Region governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua, who said if it were up to her, she would do away with democracy. “Her assertions are lamentably indicative of an unhealthy political mindset. Statements that imply disregard for democracy, coupled with a dismissive attitude towards opposition parties and an apparent indifference towards underperformance, should concern us all,” Ngarimgombe said. Democracy is a dynamic process, and not one engineered solely by Swapo, he added. “It is crucial to remind ourselves that democracy is a dynamic process, not an artefact delivered by a single entity. As such, the evolution of our nation’s leadership should be a collective effort, not subject to a single party&#039;s whims. “In a healthy democracy, any party should be considered capable of leading the nation to prosperity. After all, leadership is not about names, it&#039;s about action.”Freedom and independenceSpeaking at a meeting to elect new party leaders in the John Pandeni constituency over the weekend, McLeod-Katjirua said Swapo brought freedom and democracy. “Freedom and independence we brought; we brought along democracy, that same democracy that people are fighting us with. If it was possible, I [would] withdraw it,” she said.At the same occasion, Kapofi said Swapo suffered losses because of the Fishrot scandal. “We have suffered because of certain things that have happened, things like Fishrot. We lost a fortune, but it was not Swapo," he said. “How can it be a Swapo thing if you were not there?” Kapofi asked party members.

Swapo told to embrace ‘its Fishrot tag’

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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Swapo told to embrace ‘its Fishrot tag’

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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