Swapo denies copying Lukato’s manifesto amid copygate scandal

Swapo deputy secretary general Uahekua Herunga has dismissed claims accusing the ruling party of copying their manifesto.

The claims were made by Namibia Democratic Party (NDP) leader Martin Lukato.

While speaking on Desert Radio on Friday, he accused the ruling party of copying his manifesto.

“I am not going to take this up but there are many who have copied our manifesto. Swapo also copied our manifesto and constitution. I am not going to hold it against any of the parties, but it is good for the Namibian nation if they copied it because the people will now have the manifesto,” Lukato said.

Lukato said the NDP manifesto is copied from older manifestos of 2014 and 2019, and he and the management only made a few changes.

“I am used to people copying from me. Swapo has done it before. The Harambee Prosperity Plan is copied from the NDP policy and the constitution,” he said.

He said the only technology used on the manifesto was adding pictures to the document, saying he did not use ChatGPT.

“Politics, in its own way, is a competition, so I don’t mind them copying from me because they are not mature,” he said.

“Poor Lukato, if he could get sufficient followers to take him to parliament he could speak. Does he operate from the Swapo headquarters to allow us to get access to his documents?” asks Herunga.

“In all likelihood, are we saying Lukato is smarter than Geingob? He is making a laughing stock of himself. I have respect for him as an elder.”

Political scientist Rui Tyitende told Desert Radio there is a need for the Electoral Commision of Namibia to change the law and make it mandatory for parties to submit their manifestos four months ahead of elections.

“It is a discussion that needs to be tackled in the future, and political parties should provide voters ample time to read the manifestos,” Tyitende says.