‘Swapo stooges’ slammed

DTA LEADER Katuutire Kaura has taken a swipe at fellow opposition parties, accusing them of being “agents of the ruling party, sponsored clandestinely to destroy the DTA”.

Speaking at the opening of the DTA’s National Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday, Kaura did not bother to conceal that he was smarting from the latest defections of his party’s followers and organisations formerly affiliated to the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance. “The DTA is the target [of] opposition parties as well as the ruling party,” he declared.Kaura, who is the leader of the parliamentary alliance with the United Democratic Front (UDF), said the opposition parties, “especially those that have a new enthusiasm in tribal politics, are fighting the DTA as if the DTA is the ruling party”.He did not specify the parties by name.However, he clearly had in mind the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) of Herero Chief Kuaima Riruako and the Republican Party, both of which left the DTA to become autonomous groupings.The DTA was created with the help of apartheid South Africa in the late 1970s from a collection of tribal groupings.Kaura accused Henk Mudge, leader of the Republican Party and son of former DTA stalwart Dirk Mudge, of having done “nothing” in 11 years as an elected regional councillor.He said he had “my doubts how far he will go with his newly found political enthusiasm”.Kaura said nothing about Riruako with whom he is embroiled in a court battle over which Nudo is legitimate, following the chief’s removal of the Herero-dominated party from the DTA.After Kaura delivered his keynote speech, the meeting made changes to the DTA’s leadership after several of its members followed Riruako to Nudo.Sampie Cloete becomes the DTA leader in the National Council, replacing Mburumba Kerina who joined Chief Riruako’s Nudo.The DTA executive also selected candidates for the local authority elections as well as five people to take part in regional by-elections because of vacancies caused by defections to Nudo in the Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions.Those elections are expected to take place on May 14.While directing a few barbs at Government, Kaura reserved his most stinging attack for other opposition parties.He sent “a word of caution to the associations that are mushrooming” to take part in elections this year that “they are cultivating a one-party state in the near future” and that “those undertaking this political safari [will] have only themselves to blame”.”The DTA is the target [of] opposition parties as well as the ruling party,” he declared.Kaura, who is the leader of the parliamentary alliance with the United Democratic Front (UDF), said the opposition parties, “especially those that have a new enthusiasm in tribal politics, are fighting the DTA as if the DTA is the ruling party”.He did not specify the parties by name.However, he clearly had in mind the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) of Herero Chief Kuaima Riruako and the Republican Party, both of which left the DTA to become autonomous groupings.The DTA was created with the help of apartheid South Africa in the late 1970s from a collection of tribal groupings.Kaura accused Henk Mudge, leader of the Republican Party and son of former DTA stalwart Dirk Mudge, of having done “nothing” in 11 years as an elected regional councillor.He said he had “my doubts how far he will go with his newly found political enthusiasm”.Kaura said nothing about Riruako with whom he is embroiled in a court battle over which Nudo is legitimate, following the chief’s removal of the Herero-dominated party from the DTA.After Kaura delivered his keynote speech, the meeting made changes to the DTA’s leadership after several of its members followed Riruako to Nudo.Sampie Cloete becomes the DTA leader in the National Council, replacing Mburumba Kerina who joined Chief Riruako’s Nudo.The DTA executive also selected candidates for the local authority elections as well as five people to take part in regional by-elections because of vacancies caused by defections to Nudo in the Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions.Those elections are expected to take place on May 14.While directing a few barbs at Government, Kaura reserved his most stinging attack for other opposition parties.He sent “a word of caution to the associations that are mushrooming” to take part in elections this year that “they are cultivating a one-party state in the near future” and that “those undertaking this political safari [will] have only themselves to blame”.