Swapo launches think tank

THE ruling Swapo Party, which wants to capture all 72 seats in Parliament in next year’s elections, created its first “think tank” on Friday, 48 years after Swapo was founded.

It consists of 38 members, chaired by Fisheries Minister Abraham Iyambo. “It was created to prepare for the 2009 elections, where Swapo wants to capture all 72 seats in the National Assembly,” Local and Regional Government Minister Jerry Ekandjo said at the launch.”The members serving on it are the intellectual cream of Swapo.”According to Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, the think tank “will for the time being be limited to 16 cadres” who will create five sub-committees to work on politics and diplomacy; economics and finance; infrastructure development; social issues; and governance, security, law and order.Among the top 16 are Andrew Ndishishi, Permanent Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry, Joseph Iitha, Permanent Secretary in the Mining Ministry, Deputy Local and Regional Government Minister Kazenambo Kazenambo, Namibia Wildlife Resorts boss Tobie Aupindi and two financial experts, Martin Mwinga and Ipumbu Shiimi.”The formation of the trail-blazing think tank was endorsed at the latest Swapo Politburo meeting on October 16 and it will thoroughly analyse party structures, programmes and projects, the 2004 election manifesto and the resolutions of our 2007 congress,” Iivula-Ithana said at the launch.”We need to strengthen the party ideologically, organisationally, and institutionally and improve its work style in order to fodder-feed the greater Swapo party’s working sessions like the central committee, Politburo and the secretariat.”The think tank must ensure that Swapo’s theories, principles and implementation of policies are accelerated.”Maintaining and developing the advanced nature of the party should result in improvements in the governance of the country,” the Minister added, “and in constant development of advanced productive forces, democracy, heritage and culture, the creation of a harmonious society and the satisfaction of the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people.”The think tank will also evaluate international developments at regional, continental and multilateral institutions to advise the Swapo leadership on Government’s foreign policy stand and “the advancement of Swapo’s policy of anti-imperialist solidarity and the maintenance of peace and security in the world”.Among the 38 chosen Swapo cadres are two former bosses of the NBC national broadcaster, Dr Ben Mulongeni and Gerry Munyama, who still faces a court case for allegedly having taken a large sum belonging to NBC.Leevi Hungamo, Economic Advisor at State House, businesswoman Monica Kalondo and Elvis Nashilongo of the GIPF are also members of the Swapo think tank.”It was created to prepare for the 2009 elections, where Swapo wants to capture all 72 seats in the National Assembly,” Local and Regional Government Minister Jerry Ekandjo said at the launch.”The members serving on it are the intellectual cream of Swapo.”According to Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, the think tank “will for the time being be limited to 16 cadres” who will create five sub-committees to work on politics and diplomacy; economics and finance; infrastructure development; social issues; and governance, security, law and order.Among the top 16 are Andrew Ndishishi, Permanent Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry, Joseph Iitha, Permanent Secretary in the Mining Ministry, Deputy Local and Regional Government Minister Kazenambo Kazenambo, Namibia Wildlife Resorts boss Tobie Aupindi and two financial experts, Martin Mwinga and Ipumbu Shiimi.”The formation of the trail-blazing think tank was endorsed at the latest Swapo Politburo meeting on October 16 and it will thoroughly analyse party structures, programmes and projects, the 2004 election manifesto and the resolutions of our 2007 congress,” Iivula-Ithana said at the launch. “We need to strengthen the party ideologically, organisationally, and institutionally and improve its work style in order to fodder-feed the greater Swapo party’s working sessions like the central committee, Politburo and the secretariat.”The think tank must ensure that Swapo’s theories, principles and implementation of policies are accelerated.”Maintaining and developing the advanced nature of the party should result in improvements in the governance of the country,” the Minister added, “and in constant development of advanced productive forces, democracy, heritage and culture, the creation of a harmonious society and the satisfaction of the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people.”The think tank will also evaluate international developments at regional, continental and multilateral institutions to advise the Swapo leadership on Government’s foreign policy stand and “the advancement of Swapo’s policy of anti-imperialist solidarity and the maintenance of peace and security in the world”.Among the 38 chosen Swapo cadres are two former bosses of the NBC national broadcaster, Dr Ben Mulongeni and Gerry Munyama, who still faces a court case for allegedly having taken a large sum belonging to NBC.Leevi Hungamo, Economic Advisor at State House, businesswoman Monica Kalondo and Elvis Nashilongo of the GIPF are also members of the Swapo think tank.