Swapo Politburo douses fires
The party's organ is rushing in to appease tempers that have flared up over political positions.
As the jostling for representation at the sixth Swapo Party congress later this year heats up, a special Politburo meeting on Wednesday evening decided to establish verification teams to deal with contested outcomes and procedures of various regional conferences that are threatening disunity among members.
At least three verification teams headed by senior party members will be dispatched to the Omaheke, Oshikoto and Khomas regions, where party members have become embroiled in running battles and violent confrontations and disruptions.
The team for Omaheke, consisting of Theo-Ben Gurirab, Marco Hausiku, Libertina Amathila and Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, is tasked to verify the procedures that led to the district conferences.
They will visit the party districts of Otjinene, Otjombinde, Aminuis, and Okorukambe.
The Oshikoto team has to verify the constitutionality of the process followed for the extraordinary district conferences there.
It also has to establish the validity of complaints brought against leaders assigned to the region, as well as alleged division between the regional executive committee members and some regional councillors.
The Oshikoto team will be led by Laura McLeod-Katjirua, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Alpheus !Naruseb and Charles Namoloh.
The Khomas team has to verify compliance with the Swapo Party constitution and rules and procedures during the recently concluded regional conference.
This team consists of Nahas Angula, Erkki Nghimtina and Immanuel Ngatjizeko.
“The Politburo firmly believes that proper attention to concerns or complaints will solidify unity in the party only when properly attended to,” the organ concluded.
For several months regional party conferences that have taken place across the country have become battlegrounds as members fight each other for political office.
In some instances the Namibian police had to be called in to maintain law and order and to prevent factions from trading blows.
On the other hand senior party leaders yesterday morning met with the Swapo-affiliated National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) to mollify the umbrella workers' federation that reportedly feels left out in the cold.
Swapo secretary-general Nangolo Mbumba and two other party leaders met with NUNW leaders Ismael Kauto, Asnath Zamue, Desley Somseb and Eben Zaaronda and agreed that the workers' federation would have six delegates at the November party congress.
CATHERINE SASMAN
At least three verification teams headed by senior party members will be dispatched to the Omaheke, Oshikoto and Khomas regions, where party members have become embroiled in running battles and violent confrontations and disruptions.
The team for Omaheke, consisting of Theo-Ben Gurirab, Marco Hausiku, Libertina Amathila and Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, is tasked to verify the procedures that led to the district conferences.
They will visit the party districts of Otjinene, Otjombinde, Aminuis, and Okorukambe.
The Oshikoto team has to verify the constitutionality of the process followed for the extraordinary district conferences there.
It also has to establish the validity of complaints brought against leaders assigned to the region, as well as alleged division between the regional executive committee members and some regional councillors.
The Oshikoto team will be led by Laura McLeod-Katjirua, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Alpheus !Naruseb and Charles Namoloh.
The Khomas team has to verify compliance with the Swapo Party constitution and rules and procedures during the recently concluded regional conference.
This team consists of Nahas Angula, Erkki Nghimtina and Immanuel Ngatjizeko.
“The Politburo firmly believes that proper attention to concerns or complaints will solidify unity in the party only when properly attended to,” the organ concluded.
For several months regional party conferences that have taken place across the country have become battlegrounds as members fight each other for political office.
In some instances the Namibian police had to be called in to maintain law and order and to prevent factions from trading blows.
On the other hand senior party leaders yesterday morning met with the Swapo-affiliated National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) to mollify the umbrella workers' federation that reportedly feels left out in the cold.
Swapo secretary-general Nangolo Mbumba and two other party leaders met with NUNW leaders Ismael Kauto, Asnath Zamue, Desley Somseb and Eben Zaaronda and agreed that the workers' federation would have six delegates at the November party congress.
CATHERINE SASMAN
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