Swapo veteran Jerry Ekandjo has warned the party’s central committee (CC) members to stop violating its constitution.
He says the majority of CC members are “hand clappers and yes-men”, only to protect their positions.
“Many of them never suffered for Swapo,” Ekandjo says.
His comments come after it was discussed at a CC meeting last week that there would be no contest of positions at the party’s extraordinary congress on 28 February.
The extraordinary congress is expected to endorse Swapo vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as party president to finish the remainder of late president Hage Geingob’s term.
Geingob, who died in February this year, was elected as Swapo party president for a second term from November 2022 to November 2027.
Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa allegedly told a Swapo CC meeting last weekend that no contest would take place at next year’s extraordinary congress.
However, to Ekandjo, this is a violation of the party’s constitution, as it compels all party structures to reflect equal gender representation.
Two women and one man currently serve in the party’s top-four leadership positions.
Ekandjo believes the position of the party president should be contested by men only as the top four comprise two women already.
He justifies this by referring to the disqualification of Eveline !Nawases-Taeyele from contesting for the Swapo deputy secretary general position at a party congress in 2022 due to its 50/50 gender policy.
At the time, Uahekua Herunga had garnered 363 of the votes, while !Nawases-Taeyele received 326 votes.
Another candidate, David Hamutenya, only managed to get 92 votes, but a rerun was called between the two male candidates.
Congress returning officer Joshua Kaumbi ruled out !Nawases-Taeyele in the second round, citing the party’s policy on gender equality.
“I am serious! When the CC sits this coming Saturday, they must never, ever violate the party constitution. The constitution kept us together during the struggle, and there is no reason to destroy it now,” Ekandjo says.
“They must not push us to call for a referendum if they continue to violate the constitution,” he says.
Ekandjo believes the current Swapo leadership has weakened the party as it keeps losing seats in parliament.
“Swapo is going downwards because of the current leadership. When we were in the leadership of the party, we would always get the majority in parliament.”
Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa was not available for comment on Thursday.
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