Stop clinging to pre-congress groupings – Nandi-Ndaitwah

SWAPO vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has cautioned party members to stop holding on to pre-congress groupings as it is “wrong, counterproductive, anti-revolution and unconstitutional”.

She says last year November’s party congress elected leaders, and all party members must rally behind these leaders.

“Let’s focus on strengthening our party as we prepare for the presidential and National Assembly elections of 2024 and the future. Our people, the public at large, are not interested in the leadership struggle,” she said during a Swapo rally at Omuthiya in the Oshikoto region on Saturday.

Nandi-Ndaitwah added that the public needs good governance, honesty and continuous improved service delivery from the ruling party.

She said while the country tries to develop, issues such as tribalism and regionalism may tear it apart if not addressed.

“It is true as a nation, we are made up of different ethnic groups, with different cultures and traditions. However, those different cultures and traditions must not be used to divide us, but must be our strength,” she said.

If Namibians want to build a country that brings prosperity to all, they must stop thinking tribally, Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

“In fact, we are giving an opportunity to those who want Namibia’s resources not to serve our people, and who will take advantage of our tribal tendencies to divide us further with the aim of destroying Swapo and taking over the country through any group they are able to control to benefit from our resources.

“It is more worrying that tribal tendencies are growing at a time when strategic resources such as oil and gas are being discovered in Namibia. We must safeguard our country by being united for a common purpose,” she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said the party’s primary and ultimate goal must be to reclaim all lost land.

She said Swapo is under persistent, aggressive, and calculated onslaught by opposition parties.

“We must work hard to ensure both in the National Assembly and National Council and local authorities that yours truly, Netumbo, Swapo party, record a landslide victory.”

Meanwhile, Nandi-Ndaitwah also urged beneficiaries of the government’s drought-relief programme to use the food they receive to feed their families and not to sell or exchange it.

She appealed to those responsible for distributing drought-relief food to give it to the intended beneficiaries.

“Controlling measures must also be put in place order to ensure that no food expires in warehouses before reaching the needy,” she said.

The Namibian reported about three weeks ago that some of Nandi-Ndaitwah’s supporters, including those in the Swapo politburo and central committee, allegedly convened a meeting at her house in Windhoek to caucus on how to counter the call for an extraordinary congress.

“ . . . because the secretary general and the vice president are worried about this call,” a source said.

In August, Swapo Party Youth League secretary Ephraim Nekongo described this call as “political gender-based violence”.

“Has that been done before in the history of the party, or is it because a woman is the vice president now?
“So, if it has not been done before, it cannot be done. We can’t allow gender-based violence against our women,” Nekongo said.

Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa announced Nandi-Ndaitwah as sole Swapo candidate for next year’s presidential election at Rehoboth in August.