‘Rebel’ Amushelelo hunts for new political home

Former Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) member Michael Amushelelo says he is looking for a party willing to accommodate his “rebel, radical, militant” persona.

Amushelelo recently resigned from NEFF following the party’s deregistration by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).
This is after NEFF failed to publish audited financial reports as required by the Electoral Act of 2014.

The Christian Democratic Voice (CDV) was also deregistered by the ECN.

Amushelelo told The Namibian yesterday there is no need for him to start a new political party with over 20 registered political parties in the country.

In 2019, Amushelelo founded the Power party, to contest the 2019 general elections, alongside unionist Evilastus Kaaronda.

“I just need to find a party that is willing to accommodate a rebel, radical, militant individual such as myself,” Amushelelo said.

Amushelelo joined NEFF in 2022 and was appointed as the party’s commissar for economic freedom.

He said he does not regret being a member of NEFF because the ideals of fighting for economic freedom are what initially enticed him to join the party.

“I have learned earlier in life that you either live with regret or you take everything in life as a learning lesson, so I have most certainly learned a lot during my time as a fighter and most especially in my role as the commissar for economic development.”

He said he resigned from the 10-year-old party because it was deregistered and was no longer a legitimate political party.

“Had the party not been deregistered, I would have most certainly remained,” he said.

Amushelelo placed the blame for the deregistration squarely on the NEFF leadership, particularly the party’s war council, which he described as the ultimate decision-making body.

He described the failure to submit audited financial reports as “a failure on the part of leadership”.

He said NEFF affairs are run by the party’s war council.

“The best thing to do will be to ask the president or his deputy to provide the nation with more clarity as to why they failed to provide audited reports timely,” he said.

Asked how NEFF could have avoided the deregistration, Amushelelo said issues of compliance require individuals with the relevant skills.

“The party should have hired people who have skills to prepare audited financial statements. This is not something that is rocket science, you just hire a firm to prepare your reports and you submit them,” Amushelelo said.

Learning of NEFF’s deregistration for a lack of compliance was very disappointing, he added.

Despite his resignation from the NEFF, Amushelelo reiterated his commitment to the fight for economic freedom.

“Wherever I go in my new political home, I will most certainly continue fighting for economic freedom… a generational struggle that cannot be abandoned,” he said.

In a press statement last week, NEFF deputy president Longinus Iipumbu said the party was not shocked by Amushelelo’s sudden decision to quit.

“While we had hoped that the former economic commissar would demonstrate a clear and resolute determination to combat this system and confront the challenges faced by the party directly, we respect his decision.”

He said NEFF has stood by Amushelelo through thick and thin, including during his arrests, detentions and incarcerations and NEFF had hoped this spirit of solidarity would have been reciprocated.