APP’s Shuumbwa accused of sabotage
Party completely dead, VP claims
'Best friends' Erastus Shuumbwa and Vinsent Kanyetu have been accused of luring members away from APP to join their new party.
Ambrosius Kumbwa, the newly-appointed president of the All People's Party (APP), has accused vice-president Erastus Shuumbwa of trying to destroy the party following the expulsion of his alleged 'best friend', former secretary-general Vinsent Kanyetu.
This after Shuumbwa told The Namibian that the party is "completely dead" as many people have resigned from it. Shuumbwa was suspended earlier this year after being accused of being part of a new party, Action for Democracy Movement (ADM).
"Shuumbwa is trying to destroy the party because of Kanyetu. They are best friends, so they want the members of the APP to leave the party and join ADM," Kumbwa said.
"There are rumours that Shuumbwa is also with Kanyetu in the new party, but he has not resigned from APP. He is claiming that the party is dead, but he is still in parliament on an APP ticket. What he is saying is uncalled for, from my perspective,” the party president said.
"He does not want the party to grow or move forward because of his incompetence. We don't want to keep people in the party if they don't work for the people," Kumbwa fumed.
‘Tribal party’
Shuumbwa refuted the allegations, adding that there is no evidence that he has joined ADM. "I speak to a lot of leaders and members from other parties. Does that mean I am part of all those parties? The problem with APP is that it is a very tribal party. I don't want to be part of a tribal party,” he said.
The suspended leader added: “When I tried to correct the tribalism within the party, that's when the problem started. That's when I became an enemy of everyone”.
Meanwhile, Kumbwa accused Kanyetu of allegedly trying to deregister the APP and steal its members.
"Kanyetu was expelled for taking the APP database and attempting to use it to deregister the party. We sent an investigation team from our party and gathered all the witnesses. Kanyetu's goal was to deregister the party from his end and use the members to form his party, which is now ADM, and I believe and suspect Shuumbwa is part of it," he said.
‘Nonsense, rubbish’
Kanyetu, who is ADM's interim president, poured cold water over Kumbwa's claims.
"I never had the intention of trying to deregister a political party. It's a pity that the president doesn't understand the procedures of the Electoral Commission of Namibia and the electoral process. I don't know how he is going to lead the party," Kanyetu said.
"APP [has] an issue with Oshiwambo-speaking people. Shuumbwa is my friend. Even if I resign from APP, it does not mean that I resign from my friends who are in APP?” he wanted to know.
“Why must there be an issue between Kanyetu and Shuumbwa that they must not speak to one another? That's nonsense. That's rubbish. They [the APP] are too tribal," he added.
Kanyetu took further shots at the party, saying APP no longer stands for All People’s Party, but rather ‘All Pensioners’ Party’.
“There are no young, vibrant people who can take the party's vision forward,” he said.
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This after Shuumbwa told The Namibian that the party is "completely dead" as many people have resigned from it. Shuumbwa was suspended earlier this year after being accused of being part of a new party, Action for Democracy Movement (ADM).
"Shuumbwa is trying to destroy the party because of Kanyetu. They are best friends, so they want the members of the APP to leave the party and join ADM," Kumbwa said.
"There are rumours that Shuumbwa is also with Kanyetu in the new party, but he has not resigned from APP. He is claiming that the party is dead, but he is still in parliament on an APP ticket. What he is saying is uncalled for, from my perspective,” the party president said.
"He does not want the party to grow or move forward because of his incompetence. We don't want to keep people in the party if they don't work for the people," Kumbwa fumed.
‘Tribal party’
Shuumbwa refuted the allegations, adding that there is no evidence that he has joined ADM. "I speak to a lot of leaders and members from other parties. Does that mean I am part of all those parties? The problem with APP is that it is a very tribal party. I don't want to be part of a tribal party,” he said.
The suspended leader added: “When I tried to correct the tribalism within the party, that's when the problem started. That's when I became an enemy of everyone”.
Meanwhile, Kumbwa accused Kanyetu of allegedly trying to deregister the APP and steal its members.
"Kanyetu was expelled for taking the APP database and attempting to use it to deregister the party. We sent an investigation team from our party and gathered all the witnesses. Kanyetu's goal was to deregister the party from his end and use the members to form his party, which is now ADM, and I believe and suspect Shuumbwa is part of it," he said.
‘Nonsense, rubbish’
Kanyetu, who is ADM's interim president, poured cold water over Kumbwa's claims.
"I never had the intention of trying to deregister a political party. It's a pity that the president doesn't understand the procedures of the Electoral Commission of Namibia and the electoral process. I don't know how he is going to lead the party," Kanyetu said.
"APP [has] an issue with Oshiwambo-speaking people. Shuumbwa is my friend. Even if I resign from APP, it does not mean that I resign from my friends who are in APP?” he wanted to know.
“Why must there be an issue between Kanyetu and Shuumbwa that they must not speak to one another? That's nonsense. That's rubbish. They [the APP] are too tribal," he added.
Kanyetu took further shots at the party, saying APP no longer stands for All People’s Party, but rather ‘All Pensioners’ Party’.
“There are no young, vibrant people who can take the party's vision forward,” he said.
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