Swapo Party – Where To From Here?

• ELIJAH NGURAREI WROTE an article in this paper a few months ago in which I argued that “the Team Harambee revenge politics” will not unite but divide the party further. Some people dismissed my assertion.

It did not take long and soon many realised it to be true after Pendukeni Iivula-Iitana, Jerry Ekandjo and Petrina Haingura became victims alongside some local authority councillors in Windhoek, at Tsumeb, Walvis Bay and Omuthiya.

Historians will have their say on challenges in Swapo before independence. The Swapo of after independence also had its share of challenges since the 1991 congress. So too after the 2004 extra-ordinary congress. The 2012 congress which gave birth to the capture of political power with money also made its mark.

In other words, differences have always been there in Swapo and efforts to heal them has always been there too. For example, after the watershed contest of 2004 between Hifikepunye Pohamba, Nahas Angula and Hidipo Hamutenya, attempts were made for a reconciliation and a public rally to that effect to be had. The rationale was to honour the constitution of Swapo!

After all, the party ideology should be the common denominator encapsulating the aspirations, wishes and hopes of the people.

A situation of the 2017 congress where the party constitution was not followed and requirements thereof ignored, begs the question of legitimacy of those supposed to be victors. One hears them whispering “let us unite” but who is the conductor of that “song” because all indications are that these are the same conductors of the song “let us be divided”. And herein lies the bigger conundrum.

What is to be done and by whom? There is no truth in the discourse and there is no sincerity in the songs. The supposed ‘victor’ knows the constitutional theft that transpired and the ‘loser’ knows about the lack of credibility of the one who deliberately chose stomach over the constitution. What is to be done?

I am reminded of the million men march in October 1995. Over one million black men gathered in Washington DC, United States of America. They were addressed by minister Louis Farrakhan of the Chicago-based Nation of Islam. I attended that historic gathering from Ohio where I was an undergraduate student.

The message was of atonement for the sins committed by black men against black women and to depart that million men march as better men aspiring for a better community and as better brothers to “our sisters”. That moment of atonement is also ripe for Swapo.

To pretend otherwise is to be reactionary to the truth. To deny that Swapo is divided is to deny that Namibia is not experiencing economic hardship.

I listened to speeches at the 2017 Swapo congress by founding President Sam Nujoma, former President Hifikepunye Pohamba and President Hage Geingob. The speeches were good. Except for Pohamba’s speech which likened Team Swapo to Swapo D.

In retrospect, it is understandable what could have motivated him to say so. After all, he was a campaign manager for Team Harambee. The point I am making is that to heal, Swapo must start from these three leaders. In particular, Geingob and Pohamba must take personal responsibility of where the party finds itself today.

This is called atonement. Former secretary general Nangolo Mbumba presided over the most unconstitutional conduct in the history of the party. He too must realise and atone for his role. To flood the party (Swapo) with praise singers from DTA of Namibia or Rally for Democracy and Progress and think that you are victorious is an abomination.

It is also not helpful to transplant someone and place him as permanent secretary of the Swapo Party headquarters. The question must be asked of where former Plan combatants are, or political commissars with battle-tested experience in the party are. It is a disservice to the qualification of a person who must now be leapfrogged to be superior to those he was a subordinate to barely a year ago.

And all said and done, biology is not amendable. It is bound to be the determining factor going forward.

Some of the political elders may think that they are doing what they are doing in government today to effect revenge on each other or maybe to cash in on heavenly retirement.

This fight is meaningless and it cannot be sustained for long. The present and future generations will only be interested in what you are doing to prepare, not your bank accounts, but the bank accounts of economic independence and empowerment of all Namibians.

This is why it matters what kind of Swapo will be bequeathed to present and future generations. Is it a Swapo whose leadership is constitutionally illegitimate or is it a Swapo that truly advocates genuine unity, tribal harmony, rural development, youth empowerment, informal settlement development and genuine economic development in all 121 constituencies on the ideals of solidarity with the down-trodden, freedom for the oppressed and social justice for the disadvantaged?