DTA in political offside after 30 years

THE DTA party intends to “take over the presidency, the National Council and the National Council” in the next elections scheduled for 2009 and 2010, DTA President Katuutire vowed on Saturday before a largely empty Independence Arena.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary before barely 100 people, the party and its president are still adamant they could beat Swapo and take over government in two and a half years’ time. Kaura said the DTA had successfully petitioned the South African government to release Namibian prisoners from Robben Island prison in the 1980s, when the DTA was part of an ‘interim government’, put in place by South Africa.”The DTA also abolished the discriminatory laws that prevailed in Namibia,” Kaura told the small crowd.He promised to increase State pensions from the current N$370 a month to N$1 000 “and beyond” once in power, to abolish NamWater and make it a department in the Agriculture Ministry, to pay nurses better salaries, fight crime, eradicate ‘jobs for pals’ in the public sector and to make the German government pay reparations to those who suffered under German colonial rule.Referring to the resignation of at least eight prominent members from the ruling Swapo party last week, Kaura said: “Swapo is kaput, Swapo is split and finished.”The Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) was formed on November 7 1977 with the assistance of apartheid South Africa, which also gave strong financial support.It was founded by some participants who walked out of the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference, which met from September 1975 to October 1977.The walkout resulted from the insistence of the National Party that some apartheid laws should remain in place in an independent Namibia.The DTA had several political parties under its umbrella, with Herero Chief Clemens Kapuuo as its first president.Its role was, according to the plans of Pretoria, to be a political counterweight against Swapo.Although Swapo, which kept an internal wing inside Namibia, was invited to join the DTA alliance, it refused and has labelled DTA parties and their politicians as “puppets” until today.Kapuuo was assassinated barely six months later by yet unknown killers.The DTA, which has shown hardly any new political drive over the past years, had 21 seats in Parliament in 1990.Since then its numbers dwindled to 15 seats in 1994, seven in 1999 and down to four seats after the 2004 national elections.Kaura said the DTA had successfully petitioned the South African government to release Namibian prisoners from Robben Island prison in the 1980s, when the DTA was part of an ‘interim government’, put in place by South Africa.”The DTA also abolished the discriminatory laws that prevailed in Namibia,” Kaura told the small crowd.He promised to increase State pensions from the current N$370 a month to N$1 000 “and beyond” once in power, to abolish NamWater and make it a department in the Agriculture Ministry, to pay nurses better salaries, fight crime, eradicate ‘jobs for pals’ in the public sector and to make the German government pay reparations to those who suffered under German colonial rule.Referring to the resignation of at least eight prominent members from the ruling Swapo party last week, Kaura said: “Swapo is kaput, Swapo is split and finished.”The Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) was formed on November 7 1977 with the assistance of apartheid South Africa, which also gave strong financial support.It was founded by some participants who walked out of the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference, which met from September 1975 to October 1977.The walkout resulted from the insistence of the National Party that some apartheid laws should remain in place in an independent Namibia.The DTA had several political parties under its umbrella, with Herero Chief Clemens Kapuuo as its first president.Its role was, according to the plans of Pretoria, to be a political counterweight against Swapo.Although Swapo, which kept an internal wing inside Namibia, was invited to join the DTA alliance, it refused and has labelled DTA parties and their politicians as “puppets” until today.Kapuuo was assassinated barely six months later by yet unknown killers.The DTA, which has shown hardly any new political drive over the past years, had 21 seats in Parliament in 1990.Since then its numbers dwindled to 15 seats in 1994, seven in 1999 and down to four seats after the 2004 national elections.