Not all of PDM happy with Venaani’s nominees

Personal assistant to official opposition leader makes party list

Some members of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) are not happy with the current list of potential parliamentarians released by the party.

This comes after party leader McHenry Venaani revealed his nominees, announced by secretary general Manuel Ngaringombe yesterday.

Venaani’s top 15 picks include Winnie Moongo, Inna Hengari, Roberto Dirkse and Max Katjimune, after they placed below 17 at the electoral college.

The other nominations include Venaani’s personal assistant and investigative journalist Sonja Smith as well as chief whip Elma Dienda.

Smith, in a statement issued yesterday, said she has joined the party and is ready to bring her experience in journalism to politics.

“As a journalist, I was exposed to many harsh realities that Namibians experience daily, and this has been one of my biggest worries to date,” she said.

With this nomination, Smith plans to bring challenges experienced by ordinary Namibians, especially the downtrodden, to the forefront by representing them in parliament.

Those on Venaani’s list now top the list of ‘safe’ positions in line for parliarment after the November elections.

As a result, some of the delegates elected at the party’s electoral college last month will be pushed down the list of potential parliamentarians.

These include Ricky Vries, Rosa Mbinge-Tjeundo, Nico Smit, Sydney Ndumbah and Geoffrey Mwilima.

A source told The Namibian that some have requested that their names be withdrawn.

“Most seniors are angry that he appointed his staff in the ten spots,” the source says.

The source says some feel that Katjimune and Hengari are not doing enough on the ground to mobilise.

“So, they do not deserve to be so high up on the list, regardless of their parliamentary performance,” the source says.

Ngaringombe is not aware of any withdrawals.

“This is too early. People are still excited, and I can only get information tomorrow (today). Now, I am not aware of that,” he said yesterday.

Some of those affected are: Roger Nautoro, Johannes Martin, Nimrod Haraseb and Julia Nekweya, who will now be in positions 12, 14, 16 and 22, respectively.

Aggrieved members have been given 72 hours to express their concerns.

Venaani defended his nominations, saying the decision was not his, but the central committee’s.

“My appointees in the top ten are only three. The central committee, of its own volition, said ‘we are going to allow the leadership of the party to lead the list’,” he told The Namibian yesterday.

“They are the ones themselves that took the decisions that our top leadership will top the list. So, it’s not something new. It’s nothing undemocratic,” he said.

Venaani reiterated that the move is part of a normal democratic process.

“They themselves, the central committee, elected that the top leadership must lead the list and to make provisions for the president to place three positions in the top ten,” Venaani said.

Venaani’s other nominees include Linus Tobias, Hamlet Zamani Luboni, Felicia Motinga and Benson Katjiriova.

STAFF APPOINTMENTS

Political scientist Rui Tyitende yesterday said loyalty in politics is the currency that matters the most.

“The list suggests that those with close proximity to Venaani such as Roberto Dirkse (his spokesperson), Sonja Smith (his personal assistant) and Max Katjimune (his ‘blue-eyed boy’) are some of the noticeable figures in the top 20,” Tyitende stated.

He said should PDM win fewer than 15 seats, party stalwarts like Elma Dienda would face early retirement.

“How about those that made it in the top 15, but were relegated to the margins on account of Venaani’s appointees?” he questioned.

Tyitende questioned how democratic a system is where people get wheelbarrowed into positions at the expense of those who were elected.

The current lawmakers who didn’t make the top 16 include Theofelus Kamati who replaced Vipua Muharukua when he resigned, Loide Ipinge, Katrina Benz, Hidipo Hamata, Mike Venaani, Yvette Araes, Charmaine Tjirare and Reggie Diergaardt.

HIGHLY COMPETITIVE

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanya yesterday considered the chances of the party regaining its current 16 seats.

“The 2024 elections are expected to be highly competitive, with new political parties entering the field.

This could split the opposition vote, making it harder for PDM to secure the same number of seats as in the previous session,” he said.

He said the presence of presidential appointees and potential dissatisfaction within the party could lead to internal fractures, weakening PDM’s overall strength.

The analyst commended the party for having women representatives, but added that Venaani nominating them could stir the pot.

“Many of these women are presidential appointees, meaning their positions were not fully contested, which could affect perceptions of fairness within the party,” he stated.

IT IS WHAT IT IS

Former journalist turned politician, Nekwaya, who is the party’s youth league secretary, yesterday told The Namibian that she is not entirely sad as she is in the top 30. She fell from position seven to 22 when the list was finalised.

“I am happy the PDM central committee believes in me. We [will] try again next time. It is what it is,” she said.

Similarly, Haraseb yesterday said he would not say it wasn’t fair.

“I believe that the leaders should have equal power. As I told you already, I am happy with the outcome. And I would rather go work for my party and get more seats for my party so that I myself can be representing the Namibian people in the august house,” he said.

The PDM councillor asserted that there is nothing they can do to change facts.

DOUBLE DIPPING

Namibia Media Professionals Union (Nampu) raised concern on what they called double dipping by journalists .

“This practice is not only unethical but also severely damages the credibility and image of journalism as a whole,” said Nampu acting secretary general Jemima Beukes yesterday.

Beukes said it is even more concerning that media houses, which should be the first to condemn this, continue to enable this behaviour, disregarding the impact it has on public trust.

The Namibian editor-in-chief Tangeni Amupadhi yesterday said Smith has been a great journalist and a consummate professional.

“We know she’s been working as a researcher at parliament, assigned to one of the political parties, but we were able to allow her to work with us on non-political or non-party stories,” he said.

Amupadhi said it will be a loss for the investigative department.

“But she’s been, in any case, contributing less and less. At this stage, we will just have to wish her the best in her next career or professional endeavours. It will be a gap, but all the best to Sonja,” he said.