Swapo’s five-year outlook: No new policies, focus on existing foundations

The Swapo Party of Namibia will not introduce new development plans if re-elected.

This was said by Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa at the party’s manifesto discussion in Windhoek yesterday.

“We are not going to establish something new. The vice president is simply going to add value to already established foundations by her predecessors,” she said.

Shaningwa encouraged business leaders, civil society, youth advocates and community members to actively share insights on the party’s manifesto.

Swapo presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, speaking at the same event, called on party leaders to avoid making statements that cannot be implemented.

Nandi-Ndaitwah has been a prominent government leader since independence.

“As your leader, I don’t want us to make statements to our people that we cannot implement. Implementation must be the key in everything we are doing,” she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah urged party members to gain an understanding of the manifesto in order to implement it.

“I would like to see many of you interested to understand the details of this manifesto, because its implementation will be done by all those who are going to work in the government and in the private sector,” she said.

She highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships and said party members should implement the promises made in Swapo’s manifesto in both the public and private sectors.

“Turning vision into reality means ensuring that our manifesto is not merely words on a page, but a true road map, guiding us toward real, tangible progress for every Namibian,” she said.

Political analyst Rui Tyitende said it does not make sense for Swapo to repeatedly say it has great policies when there is a lack of implementation.

“If their manifesto is the ultimate solution to Namibia’s problems, then nothing will happen to the 1.4 million people currently drowning in poverty,” he said.

Tyitende said Nandi-Ndaitwah will not be able to determine what went wrong with policy implementation without understanding where Swapo has gone wrong over the last 34 years

“Who is responsible for implementation and why pass a policy that is not implementable? Nandi-Ndaitwah has been part of the government for the past 34 years, so what exactly will be done differently?” he questioned.

Tyitende said the Swapo manifesto lacks depth and currency, and it suffers a terrible impotency in its futile attempt to convince.

“The more one reads it, the more you are tempted to ask: but why have you failed to do all this? But you said there is not enough money? Where will you get this money next year if you cannot get it this year?”