We will give them a tough time – Swartbooi

THE leader of the Landless People’s Movement, Bernadus Swartbooi, has said he will cripple companies owned by Swapo and politicians benefiting from the country’s natural resources such as fishing and mining rights at the expense of the masses.

Swartbooi made these remarks at a media event on Monday, where he revealed his movement’s plans to contest the 2019 national elections.

He said the crippling of businesses and companies will start when his movement takes over control of regions that have the most valuable natural resources such as Erongo, //Karas and Hardap, where he claimed to have huge support.

This, he said, was necessary because companies operating in those regions make big profits, but were not helping the vulnerable communities.

“We will also give them a tough time when we take over those regions. They have paralysed this country, and they are trying to paralyse it further with hunger, poverty and underdevelopment.

We cannot accept and allow them to continue anymore because they cannot be trusted,” he said, adding that companies owned by politicians were exploiting their employees.

Swartbooi also revealed plans to form a coalition with five other political parties in a bid to have a formidable force that will take on the ruling party in the elections. He said about three parties have offered to change their names to work with him.

Although the LPM leader did not reveal the names of the parties wanting to join forces with him, there are prospects that some National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) members might join the LPM.

Nudo’s self-proclaimed new president Utjiua Muinjangue was present at the event.

“We are working very hard before the elections. We are talking to at least five political parties. These are intense discussions, and we will soon declare the outcomes,” Swartbooi stated.

According to him, these “intense talks” also involve plans to effectively deal with the issue of the suspected rigging of elections by the ruling party through the use of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). They would thus advocate that the EVMs have a paper trail to ensure transparency during the elections.

He said if they fail to register their party at the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), LPM members will participate as independent candidates for local authority councils because they aim to “take control of the regions and local authorities”.

Swartbooi also claimed that the LPM was represented in 11 regions, and that they have about 3 500 registered members in seven regions.

The secretary general of Muinjangue’s faction of Nudo, Joseph Kauandenge, yesterday said they were “currently not in talks with Swartbooi for the coalition”, but they will welcome such gestures to strengthen opposition parties.

The LPM leader further stated that when they take over, his party would focus on transforming local authorities, engineer parliamentary reforms, and look at possible ways of incorporating traditional authorities in decision-making processes.

“As it stands, we have strong and growing forces, in particular, in 11 regions. And we will continue to strengthen our expansion in the remaining three regions,” he said.

Swartbooi also claimed that there were people within the ruling party who have maintained contact with him, and “are always telling us what is happening”.

Despite their concerted efforts to recruit members, the firebrand activist said the ruling party was still intimidating their members, and offering them bribes and benefits not to join LPM.

He said some people were offered “veterans’ benefits, fishing quotas and government employment by Swapo agents, including some governors”.

Swartbooi, however, did not disclose the names of the “agents”.