Workers’ Revolutionary Party kicks out leader

WILLEM Beukes will no longer represent the Workers’ Revolutionary Party (WRP) in one of two seats in the National Assembly.This came after he was allegedly kicked out of the party.

Party spokesperson Hewat Beukes yesterday confirmed the move, saying it had emerged that Willem Beukes was not even a member of the WRP but in fact a member of the Communist Party.

Hewat Beukes lashed out at Willem Beukes, saying: “He is a scoundrel and a crook.”

However, he refused to shed more light on the matter, saying it was an internal affair. “We’re not going to talk about it.”

Benson Kapaala and Salmon Fleermuys will be in the party’s two NA seats.

Hewat Beukes said Willem Beukes had nothing to say about the party. “You speak to me and nobody else. No man speaks on behalf of the WRP. Just like God speaks on behalf of the Bible, Hewat Beukes speaks on behalf of the WRP. He has no version.”

Upon enquiry, Willem Beukes vehemently denied that he was not going to parliament. “Those are just rumours. It is not true. I would like to confirm that I am number one on the list.”

Secondly, he wants to put “the people who voted for me to go to parliament” at ease. “They don’t have to be worried. Those who don’t believe me can go to the ECN.”

He laughed off Hewat Beukes’ claims that he was a crook. “He (Hewat Beukes) knows what he did. I am a very patient person and a leader of people. He needs to swallow his words. Hewat is not a leader at all. He does not have the qualities of a leader.”

Willem Beukes said the two seats which the WRP won in the NA are a direct result of his input.

Last week, it was reported that it is a misconception that the WRP has only one matter on its agenda.

There is more than one issue which makes the WRP tick, Erica Beukes, an instrumental member of the party, said then.

Party leader Hewat Beukes said they could have won more if the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) and the ruling party Swapo were not busy shifting numbers and figures in their favour.

“We are certain that there was some manipulation going on in order to disadvantage WRP and deny us more seats in parliament,” said Hewat Beukes.

He added that he believes his party performed well in the elections, managing to garner votes in most of the regions. “Swapo does not want to face radicals in parliament,” he said, adding that the party was threatened by WRP’s outspokenness.

In accordance with their manifesto, they will “speak over the heads of parliament to the working class,” Erica Beukes said, adding that essentially the WRP is a communist party for the working class.

Other members of parliament in any case, do not have any power “apart from making laws to assist the capitalists to further exploit the country”, was her view on the role of parliamentarians.

Sitting in parliament for hours at a time must be strenuous and boring, Beukes said.

The WRP is working on a number of issues at the same time, she explained. “It (their performance) is based on work we have actually done.”

This comes despite the party not actively campaigning for the elections. “We don’t do that (campaigning). We work all the time – that is our strategy.”