Play the game, not the man, Mbumba tells Swapo electoral congress candidates

President Nangolo Mbumba has called on Swapo delegates hoping for parliamentary positions to compete fairly.

“Remember what our former president, Hage Geingob, used to say about playing the game, not the man. We must leave this electoral college united and stronger,” he told delegates at the party’s electoral college (‘pot’) in Windhoek on Sunday.

Delegates will battle it out through pot elections to qualify as members of Namibia’s next parliament.

Mbumba voiced support for the party’s presidential candidate, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

“We must make sure our party candidate and first-ever female president wins convincingly,” he said.

Mbumba said both winners and losers from the Swapo pot should work together to see Nandi-Ndaitwah and the party win resoundingly.

“I have never seen anyone give up power. We want victory, but victory does not come easy. We must work very hard for our candidate and party,” he said.

“We are the party that won independence and freedom for our people. We cannot lose to people without history.”

Mbumba said division in the party is unnecessary.