Congress was hunky-dory, says CoD’s Ben Ulenga

THE war of words between opposing groups from Namibia’s main opposition party ratcheted up yesterday, as its leader rejected accusations that there were any irregularities at all at the party congress last weekend.

“The leadership of the Congress of Democrats (CoD) elected at the extraordinary congress at Keetmanshoop is the only legitimate leadership authorised to speak, act and do business on behalf of the party,” party president Ben Ulenga claimed in a statement. Ulenga was re-elected under controversial circumstances, resulting in a walkout by 154 delegates on Sunday.They were led by Ignatius Shixwameni, who was squeezed out in the election.Those who walked out charged that Ulenga supporters had “smuggled in” members who only had observer status but were made official delegates and even voted.Ulenga does not want to hear about it.He contends that the congress was “legitimate and its outcomes must be accepted and respected by all CoD members and the public in general”.”(T)hose who allege irregularities and fraudulent activities have conveniently chosen to do so only after they were declared losers of the party’s presidential elections,” Ulenga claimed.”At no stage throughout the proceedings of the extraordinary congress and until the announcement of the results of the presidential contest, which declared Ben Ulenga as the winner, was there any complaint or concern brought before congress which had remained unresolved.”However, before voting started on Saturday night, one of the CoD’s most senior members, Nora Schimming-Chase, openly took issue with Ulenga’s wife Nambata, accusing her of changing lists of delegates, especially that of the Khomas Region.On Monday, Ulenga vowed to resign together with the new leadership team, if an independent and forensic audit “aimed at baring the facts regarding the run-up and conduct of the extraordinary congress” could prove that there had been irregularities.The ‘rebel’ faction is led by Shixwameni and includes some of the party’s most prominent politicians – among then Schimming-Chase, former party secretary general Kala Gertze, Member of Parliament Elma Dienda, Windhoek City Councillor Herbert Schultz, Linus Muchila and Hetty Rose-Junius.At a press briefing on Tuesday, they showed reporters official lists of delegates and another which they claimed had been changed afterwards.CoD member Pauline Dempers reported a specific case she had witnessed where the nametag of a duly registered delegate, Aune Shirare, who could not make it to Keetmanshoop, was taken by Ulenga campaigner Rosa Namises and given to another woman.”That woman was definitely not Ms Shirare,” Dempers stated.Dempers added that a CoD member from Katutura, whom she identified as Lulu, had confessed on Sunday that having a beer at a township bar days before the congress had ended with him being a congress delegate.A CoD member approached him there to come along as an observer to the extraordinary congress, which he did, since he did not have to pay for the trip.”Lulu told us he was made an official delegate after his arrival.He was picked virtually from the street,” Dempers criticised.The Shixwameni group was also angered by a group of Ulenga supporters from the north-central regions, who were not delegates and thus not budgeted for in terms of food and accommodation, but demanded a place to sleep from Gertze last Friday night.”They closed the gate of the premises to prevent Gertze from driving away and surrounded him, refusing to budge.He had to shout for help from the security guards, who ordered the group to open the gate and let him go,” Herbert Schultz said Tuesday.”Ben Ulenga was standing outside and witnessed the ugly incident, but did nothing to stop the group,” he added.”Veteran politician and CoD member Moses Katjiuongua was with Gertze and also had to endure the intimidation.”Gertze told the media briefing that the organising committee had agreed on 350 attendees and budgeted food and accommodation for them.”We ended up with 485 people who required a place to sleep and on the second day of the congress we had to feed 520 people instead of the official 350,” which the Shixwameni group said merely served to underline that more people had been bussed in by the Ulenga faction.On Monday, Ulenga maintained there was no disunity in the party despite the walkout.Ulenga was re-elected under controversial circumstances, resulting in a walkout by 154 delegates on Sunday.They were led by Ignatius Shixwameni, who was squeezed out in the election.Those who walked out charged that Ulenga supporters had “smuggled in” members who only had observer status but were made official delegates and even voted.Ulenga does not want to hear about it.He contends that the congress was “legitimate and its outcomes must be accepted and respected by all CoD members and the public in general”.”(T)hose who allege irregularities and fraudulent activities have conveniently chosen to do so only after they were declared losers of the party’s presidential elections,” Ulenga claimed.”At no stage throughout the proceedings of the extraordinary congress and until the announcement of the results of the presidential contest, which declared Ben Ulenga as the winner, was there any complaint or concern brought before congress which had remained unresolved.”However, before voting started on Saturday night, one of the CoD’s most senior members, Nora Schimming-Chase, openly took issue with Ulenga’s wife Nambata, accusing her of changing lists of delegates, especially that of the Khomas Region.On Monday, Ulenga vowed to resign together with the new leadership team, if an independent and forensic audit “aimed at baring the facts regarding the run-up and conduct of the extraordinary congress” could prove that there had been irregularities.The ‘rebel’ faction is led by Shixwameni and includes some of the party’s most prominent politicians – among then Schimming-Chase, former party secretary general Kala Gertze, Member of Parliament Elma Dienda, Windhoek City Councillor Herbert Schultz, Linus Muchila and Hetty Rose-Junius.At a press briefing on Tuesday, they showed reporters official lists of delegates and another which they claimed had been changed afterwards.CoD member Pauline Dempers reported a specific case she had witnessed where the nametag of a duly registered delegate, Aune Shirare, who could not make it to Keetmanshoop, was taken by Ulenga campaigner Rosa Namises and given to another woman.”That woman was definitely not Ms Shirare,” Dempers stated.Dempers added that a CoD member from Katutura, whom she identified as Lulu, had confessed on Sunday that having a beer at a township bar days before the congress had ended with him being a congress delegate.A CoD member approached him there to come along as an observer to the extraordinary congress, which he did, since he did not have to pay for the trip.”Lulu told us he was made an official delegate after his arrival.He was picked virtually from the street,” Dempers criticised.The Shixwameni group was also angered by a group of Ulenga supporters from the north-central regions, who were not delegates and thus not budgeted for in terms of food and accommodation, but demanded a place to sleep from Gertze last Friday night.”They closed the gate of the premises to prevent Gertze from driving away and surrounded him, refusing to budge.He had to shout for help from the security guards, who ordered the group to open the gate and let him go,” Herbert Schultz said Tuesday.”Ben Ulenga was standing outside and witnessed the ugly incident, but did nothing to stop the group,” he added.”Veteran politician and CoD member Moses Katjiuongua was with Gertze and also had to endure the intimidation.”Gertze told the media briefing that the organising committee had agreed on 350 attendees and budgeted food and accommodation for them.”We ended up with 485 people who required a place to sleep and on the second day of the congress we had to feed 520 people instead of the official 350,” which the Shixwameni group said merely served to underline that more people had been bussed in by the Ulenga faction.On Mon
day, Ulenga maintained there was no disunity in the party despite the walkout.