Ball rolling on Itula - Samupwa
Swapo executive director has confirmed that the party has set the ball rolling on possible disciplinary steps against Panduleni Itula, who stood against President Hage Geingob in last month's presidential election.
The matter was also discussed at a Swapo central committee meeting on Monday.
Samupwa confirmed yesterday that the Itula matter has been referred to an “appropriate organ” within the party.
“For now it remains an internal matter of the party, and once it starts unfolding, the media will be informed,” he said.
When contacted for comment on WhatsApp yesterday, Itula responded: “My response to her questions may constitute verbal assault and am not at liberty to communicate with (sic).”
Until recently the party had been reluctant to take steps against Itula and instead said he had irreversibly ex-communicated himself as a Swapo member by standing as independent candidate against Geingob.
Late last month the electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) announced that Geingob had been re-elected for a second term and had garnered 56.3% of the presidential vote, while Itula secured only 29.4%.
However, a week later on 5 December, the ECN updated its results for the Windhoek Rural Constituency, after confirming that 7 000 votes for Itula had mistakenly been allocated to United Democratic Front (UDF) presidential candidate Apius Auchab.
Itula has since lodged a Supreme Court application to challenge the results of the presidential election.
During this week's CC meeting Geingob pointed out that Itula was born from the non-acceptance of defeat by those who had lost at the 2017 Swapo elective congress.
He urged party members to stand strong and firm and defend their party from those who seek to weaken it.
“The mighty Swapo Party has prevailed through the crucible of the struggle, we have prevailed through various internal crises and we will prevail again,” he said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
The matter was also discussed at a Swapo central committee meeting on Monday.
Samupwa confirmed yesterday that the Itula matter has been referred to an “appropriate organ” within the party.
“For now it remains an internal matter of the party, and once it starts unfolding, the media will be informed,” he said.
When contacted for comment on WhatsApp yesterday, Itula responded: “My response to her questions may constitute verbal assault and am not at liberty to communicate with (sic).”
Until recently the party had been reluctant to take steps against Itula and instead said he had irreversibly ex-communicated himself as a Swapo member by standing as independent candidate against Geingob.
Late last month the electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) announced that Geingob had been re-elected for a second term and had garnered 56.3% of the presidential vote, while Itula secured only 29.4%.
However, a week later on 5 December, the ECN updated its results for the Windhoek Rural Constituency, after confirming that 7 000 votes for Itula had mistakenly been allocated to United Democratic Front (UDF) presidential candidate Apius Auchab.
Itula has since lodged a Supreme Court application to challenge the results of the presidential election.
During this week's CC meeting Geingob pointed out that Itula was born from the non-acceptance of defeat by those who had lost at the 2017 Swapo elective congress.
He urged party members to stand strong and firm and defend their party from those who seek to weaken it.
“The mighty Swapo Party has prevailed through the crucible of the struggle, we have prevailed through various internal crises and we will prevail again,” he said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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