‘A good start’
Show of unity at Swapo policy conference
Described as the most unifying party event in five years, the policy conference made a breakthrough on the so-called Helmuth Amendments by agreeing to include a proposal to relax them in the final conference report.
The weekend’s Swapo policy conference has agreed to include – as a recommendation in its final report – relaxing of the prohibitive ‘Helmut Amendments’ ahead of the party congress later this year.
Namibian Sun understands that a special central committee meeting is now slated for August, amid a push to have the amendments relaxed ahead of congress.
Described as the most ‘united’ party event since the divisive 2017 congress, the weekend’s conference agreed in principle that youth political empowerment in the party cannot be achieved under the regime of the Helmut Amendments, which requires those vying for top positions to have been party members for 20 solid years and central committee members for 10 consecutive years.
A sense of unity, described as a ‘good starting point’ by party veteran Nahas Angula, prevailed at the weekend’s conference.
It was during a presentation on ‘youth political empowerment and participation’ that many expressed dismay with the Helmut Amendments, saying they were a barrier towards that very goal.
“The issue of the Helmut Amendments was discussed under the youth political empowerment agenda point. This was endorsed unanimously by the policy conference and is part of the recommendations that will form the final document,” an attendee told Namibian Sun.
Among those who called for the relaxation of the amendments are Swapo Party Youth League national executive committee member Willem Amutenya, National Planning Commission director-general Obeth Kandjoze, Swapo backbencher in the National Assembly Natangwe Ithete and Oshikoto Swapo regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu.
Nahas hails good start
The inclusion of party leaders who campaigned under the banner of Team Swapo ahead of the polarising 2017 congress was hailed as a good step towards unifying the party.
They include Amukwiyu, Angula, former party secretary-general Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana and Dr Elijah Ngurare, who was scheduled to deliver a presentation on ‘Water resources: A catalyst for development’, but had to be excused due to a family matter.
Angula said: “It’s a good starting point towards uniting the party. Trust will take some time to achieve after what the party has gone through, but we will get there if certain things are done correctly”.
“One of the things that will get us back on track is to have honest, genuine conversations about the state of the party – which was largely lacking at the conference because we focused too much on technical discussions and not on the political vision of the party, especially the issue of ethical leadership,” he said.
“At a platform like that, you need the political ideals that would appeal to a wider community of voters. If we do not forge a common political vision and revolutionary culture, we will end up like the ANC [Africa National Congress] comrades who are currently tearing each other, and the party, to pieces.”
It is understood that Angula and Iivula-Ithana both urged the party to consider sport as a way of reducing youth unemployment.
Angula confirmed this, saying: “The context of it is that we were discussing youth unemployment and we said sport and culture are some of the ways we can address unemployment because if one is a sport star or, for example, a good musician, they can create income for themselves that way.”
Shaningwa a unifier
Some of the attendees Namibian Sun spoke to singled out party secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa as having been a key catalyst in the perceived unity at the conference.
She has for long publicly stated that Swapo would no longer entertain factional politics, saying both Team Swapo and Team Harambee were dead and buried, and lashing out at those who still held such identities.
Sources said some members of Team Harambee “wanted to discriminate against Team Swapo”, but Shaningwa stopped such attempts.
“We need more of the Sophia Shaningwas in our party; people who can stand their ground when need be, something that is not fashionable to do in Swapo,” a party member said.
Namibian Sun understands that a special central committee meeting is now slated for August, amid a push to have the amendments relaxed ahead of congress.
Described as the most ‘united’ party event since the divisive 2017 congress, the weekend’s conference agreed in principle that youth political empowerment in the party cannot be achieved under the regime of the Helmut Amendments, which requires those vying for top positions to have been party members for 20 solid years and central committee members for 10 consecutive years.
A sense of unity, described as a ‘good starting point’ by party veteran Nahas Angula, prevailed at the weekend’s conference.
It was during a presentation on ‘youth political empowerment and participation’ that many expressed dismay with the Helmut Amendments, saying they were a barrier towards that very goal.
“The issue of the Helmut Amendments was discussed under the youth political empowerment agenda point. This was endorsed unanimously by the policy conference and is part of the recommendations that will form the final document,” an attendee told Namibian Sun.
Among those who called for the relaxation of the amendments are Swapo Party Youth League national executive committee member Willem Amutenya, National Planning Commission director-general Obeth Kandjoze, Swapo backbencher in the National Assembly Natangwe Ithete and Oshikoto Swapo regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu.
Nahas hails good start
The inclusion of party leaders who campaigned under the banner of Team Swapo ahead of the polarising 2017 congress was hailed as a good step towards unifying the party.
They include Amukwiyu, Angula, former party secretary-general Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana and Dr Elijah Ngurare, who was scheduled to deliver a presentation on ‘Water resources: A catalyst for development’, but had to be excused due to a family matter.
Angula said: “It’s a good starting point towards uniting the party. Trust will take some time to achieve after what the party has gone through, but we will get there if certain things are done correctly”.
“One of the things that will get us back on track is to have honest, genuine conversations about the state of the party – which was largely lacking at the conference because we focused too much on technical discussions and not on the political vision of the party, especially the issue of ethical leadership,” he said.
“At a platform like that, you need the political ideals that would appeal to a wider community of voters. If we do not forge a common political vision and revolutionary culture, we will end up like the ANC [Africa National Congress] comrades who are currently tearing each other, and the party, to pieces.”
It is understood that Angula and Iivula-Ithana both urged the party to consider sport as a way of reducing youth unemployment.
Angula confirmed this, saying: “The context of it is that we were discussing youth unemployment and we said sport and culture are some of the ways we can address unemployment because if one is a sport star or, for example, a good musician, they can create income for themselves that way.”
Shaningwa a unifier
Some of the attendees Namibian Sun spoke to singled out party secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa as having been a key catalyst in the perceived unity at the conference.
She has for long publicly stated that Swapo would no longer entertain factional politics, saying both Team Swapo and Team Harambee were dead and buried, and lashing out at those who still held such identities.
Sources said some members of Team Harambee “wanted to discriminate against Team Swapo”, but Shaningwa stopped such attempts.
“We need more of the Sophia Shaningwas in our party; people who can stand their ground when need be, something that is not fashionable to do in Swapo,” a party member said.
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