We are not bothered – AR responds to Ipinge rejoining Swapo

Affirmative Repositioning (AR) spokesperson George Kambala says former member Knowledge Ipinge’s defection to Swapo was done at own accord.

This follows Ipinge’s announcement that he rejoined Swapo during a party rally at Walvis Bay over the weekend. Kambala says Ipinge’s departure does not bother AR, and he labelled those who left the party to rejoin Swapo, “Swapo instruments”.

“He left alone so we are not bothered,” says Kambala.

“For us, we are moving forward. We left people at the train station and we will continue to leave people. He is not the first one, nor will he be the last one.” During the Swapo rally, Ipinge encouraged those in attendance to vote for Swapo to win the region back from the opposition and “take the country forward”.

Kambala described Ipinge’s defection as a “drop in the ocean”.

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah, however, told The Namibian the trend of senior opposition leaders defecting to Swapo points to deeper issues within Namibia’s opposition parties.“These parties often struggle to maintain momentum, leading to frustrations that push some leaders back to the ruling party,” he says.

“While Swapo might seem attractive due to its established power, resources and influence, the motivations behind these defections can appear self-serving rather than rooted in genuine political conviction,” Kamwanyah adds.