Kaura alleges purge in DTA

FORMER DTA of Namibia president Katuutire Kaura has accused his successor McHenry Venaani of suspending members who supported him during the last elective central committee meeting and fears the party will lose out in the upcoming elections.

Kaura, who joined the party in the 1980s, and lost to Venaani last year with 96 to 52 votes, confirmed the suspension of 10 veteran party members last week, describing the action as a “dangerous Russian Roulette game”.

“It is unfortunate and unbelievable that they have decided to play this game, especially four months down the line. I will be surprised if the party gets even one seat in parliament this year,” Kaura said.

The members allege that the suspensions are a result of a campaign by current DTA president Venaani, whom they accuse of carrying out a purge on Kaura’s supporters.

Efforts to get comment from Venaani were unsuccessful as his mobile phone went unanswered, and was later switched off yesterday. Member of parliament, Philemon Moongo who was in Kaura’s camp warned that the party should not be drawn into fights.

“They are going to break the party if there are people doing that, that’s not nationalism. They should not break our party,” he said.

Speaking to The Namibian, two of the suspended members who said they joined the party in 1988, allege the party is divided, with some people supporting Kaura despite the fact that he lost to Venaani last year.

Dewald Kazongominja, one of the suspended veterans, said he is shocked to have been suspended since he grew up in DTA from the age of 12.

“Why is he suspending us old members at the same time calling on more people to join the party? If we can’t keep the party going, how can he expect the new members to?” asked Kazongominja, who grew up at Aminius within a family of DTA supporters.

Another suspended member, Ignatius Semba said he was still in shock and could not comment further as he was at the village.

Kaura’s former driver Sigfried Tjivikua confirmed that he was also suspended allegedly because he supported Kaura.

“I received an SMS when I was at the village that I am suspended from the party. My question is, how can I be suspended when I joined the party before Venaani was born?” asked Tjivikua

News about the purge comes a few months after Venaani took the podium accepting victory, and warned the youth most of whom supported him, that they should maintain discipline and refrain from name calling.

“You do not have my permission to do that,” he warned. Venaani also spent most of his acceptance speech encouraging unity and tolerance: “The campaign of Venaani has ceased to exist. The campaign has ended. It is over, now is the party, one party.”

DTA secretary general Vincent Kanyetu declined to comment because of the “gravity of the topic”. “We do not think we need to answer to the media anytime soon. This is an internal matter,” Kanyetu said.