Shaningwa condemns ‘unsympathetic’Swapo succession talks

… says party is still mourning

Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa has condemned some party members discussing succession plans while the party is still mourning its president, Hage Geingob.

Geingob died a week ago in Windhoek while receiving cancer treatment.

His death has left the ruling party without a president, with some members calling for Swapo to convene an extraordinary congress to elect a new party president.

Shaningwa in a public statement issued yesterday referred to the discussions of Swapo succession in the media as “unsympathetic, insensitive and regrettable”.

She said decisions about the party’s next steps will be made by the central committee.

Shaningwa urged Swapo members to “wait until the relevant party structures have had the chance to deliberate and pronounce themselves on any decision-making matter”.

She said the party expected Geingob to be remembered and respected in a befitting manner.
“Regrettably, the Swapo party has observed and noted with grave concern and

disappointment in various pronouncements by some members of the party, through the media, on a number of constitutional aspects and implications following the death of the party president,” she said.

Shaningwa said the party calls on its members and supporters to remain calm during this period.

‘MEN ONLY’

Last week, former Cabinet minister Jerry Ekandjo said he believes the position of the party president at the upcoming extraordinary congress should be reserved for men in order to achieve gender balance.

“The strong point is that only men should run for the Swapo presidency at the extraordinary congress,” he said.

Ekandjo also called for the resignation of vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah if she wanted to challenge for the position of party president.

Ekandjo did not respond to calls or a text message sent to him yesterday.

Nandi-Ndaitwah is widely regarded as the favourite to win the presidential contest at the upcoming congress.

The death of president Hage Geingob, however, has brought to the fore a debate on a possible gender imbalance in terms of Swapo’s zebra style system.

This system commits Swapo to filling its top four positions and list of parliamentarians according to a 50:50 gender balance, and is set to be tested at the extraordinary congress.

Nandi-Ndaitwah last week said she didn’t want to comment on issues of interpretation.

“Of course there are rules and procedures that govern the Swapo constitution, but I don’t want to go into that. Those questions should be directed to the secretary general or the secretary for information and mobilisation,” she said.

Swapo’s leadership currently consists of two women and one man.

The women are vice president Nandi-Ndaitwah and secretary general Sophia Shaningwa, while deputy secretary general Uahekua Herunga is the only man remaining in the top leadership.

Before Geingob’s death, Nandi-Ndaitwah was seen as a clear candidate for Swapo in the 2024 national elections.

She had already launched a national campaign as a Swapo candidate.

Shaningwa had also declared Nandi-Ndaitwah as Swapo’s sole candidate for this year’s election.

CONSTITUTIONAL CHASM

However, Geingob’s death has caused a constitutional chasm within the party.

Ekandjo, who has pushed for an anti-gay law, is publicly calling for the top positions to be contested.

“It cannot be said that the position of Swapo president must be occupied by a woman and let the men compete for the vice presidency,” Ekandjo said.

“If a woman wins the Swapo presidency and another wins the vice presidency, there would be three women. Who will be told to withdraw to make room for a man?” he asked.

Last week Swapo deputy secretary general Uahekua Herunga said Ekandjo did not consider all the facts before saying the position of Swapo president should be reserved for a man.

“His reasoning is that the top four positions must have gender equality, but he could not make other political calculations that can still achieve gender equality, but not necessarily having the position of party president reserved for men only,” he said.

Herunga said if Nandi-Ndaitwah stands as a presidential candidate at the extraordinary congress, a man could be elected as vice president, which would also achieve gender balance among the top four in Swapo.

“… but I am, however, not here to reveal the calculations he [Ekandjo] missed,” he said.