There are corrupt elements in Swapo – Kapia

… ‘But party in general is not corrupt’

Swapo central committee member Paulus Kapia has admitted that the party’s reputation has in the past been dented by some corrupt elements, although the ruling party is in essence not corrupt.

Kapia was speaking at a Swapo campaign at Omunyele village at Outapi on Sunday.

His assertions come at a time that the ruling party is struggling to shrug off the bad reputation brought about by party big wigs, former justice minister Sackey Shanghala and Bernhard Esau, who were charged together with some businessmen for commiting the country’s largest corrption scandal, now known as the Fishrot case.

“There are those who are corrupt. They are being arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission and the police. That does not mean Swapo is corrupt. The media should stop saying Swapo is corrupt. “The media should report that so and so is arrested for corruption, but not Swapo. Now the opposition parties are thriving on suggestions that Swapo is corrupt,” he said.

Kapia said just like in the government, Swapo too has corrupt individuals, but the public should be people aware of fake news.

He warned against the possibility of “regime change efforts” in Namibia.

“Regime change is being perpetuated by the Germans and their fellow Europeans in Namibia working together with Itula. This is the reason they did not make him party president.

“He is the chief patriot, the party has a white president, who will preside over it. Be careful! The chief patriot can’t be the state president,” Kapia said.

He said Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) president Panduleni Itula has met with Europeans.

According to Kapia, white people wanted Swapo to govern for a certain period of time before it would be removed from power.

“That’s why you see opposition parties and other smaller parties being formed through fake churches and prophets,” he said.

Kapia also focused on lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) issues.

He said European governments, who are funding the IPC, are promoting this agenda in Namibia, which could lead to the country being ruled by the LGBTQI+ community – a prospect he found alarming.

“This country was fought for by Namibians, men and women, and we should not allow it to be ruled by homosexuals,” he said.

IPC spokesperson Immanuel Nashinge did not respond to a text message sent to him yesterday.

Kapia said he had heard rumours of government officials, Cabinet members and parliamentarians being homosexual.

While acknowledging that people may engage in the private behaviour they prefer, he advised against bringing these activities into the public eye.

LGBTQI+ activist Wendelinus Hamutenya yesterday said: “Money comes from white people, even the Fishrot money comes from white people.

“The International Monetary Fund is also from white people, and the country borrowed from there. What is wrong with the LGBTQI+ funds coming from there?”

Hamutenya said the community operates in line with the Constitution and relevant legal documents that recognise and honour humanity.

“Explain why, after 34 years of Swapo’s corrupt rule, our people are still ravaged by hunger and poverty. He (Kapia) must explain the chronic shortages of medicine at our hospitals, the rampant unemployment among our educated youth, and the scandal of starvation in a land of plenty,” he said.