AR begs voters for campaign funds

The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, fronted by university professor Job Amupanda, is appealing to Namibians for financial support to drive its campaign for November’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

Amupanda made a passionate plea at a press briefing at the party’s headquarters in Windhoek yesterday.

“Unlike existing political parties that receive funds from the parliament, the Chinese, London, or through corruption, the AR movement does not receive any money from any defined institutional or well-established sources,” he said.

Amupanda said the party is determined to run its campaign until 27 November, despite a lack of resources.

“We are funding our campaign through our little pockets and through good Samaritans,” he said.

Political analyst Johannes Coetzee said the AR should demonstrate that it adds value to society to secure funding.

“The socialist and revolutionary orientation of the party will not garner much funding from the private sector. The party’s association with socialist countries such as Venezuela will not help,” he said.

Coetzee accused Amupanda of making enemies in the private sector “that reminds people too much of Julius Malema”.

“This is what we call identity politics. The name of the party is already indicating some people should be more equal compared to others, which is biased, not based on merit, and based on preferential treatment and an ideology of victimisation, which is not sustainable,” he said.