Jostling towards November

On face value, unity within Swapo’s ranks is consolidated ahead of the upcoming congress, but those in the know have whispered that the ruling party’s mirage of oneness is eating it from within. From scrupulous underground lobbying and character assassination to stark divisions and the zeal to seal support from delegates at any cost, analysts warn that the outcome of tomorrow’s central committee meeting - where the congress campaign season will be officially opened - will determine the political behaviour of candidates for the party’s top four positions, and their supporters.Swapo’s recent congresses have been a hotbed of contestation, so much so that the party has not had the luxury of enjoying post-congress unity.As central committee members travel to Windhoek from all corners of the country to nominate their choice of candidates for the top four positions, aspiring candidates who do not meet the constitutional requirements to contest are working around the clock to sneak into the line-up.An independent legal analyst has, however, indicated that those opposing the so-called ‘Helmut Amendments’ want to enter the leadership structures through the back door.“Some people never served the party in any structure and now they want to be catapulted to the top.“If you really love the party, you must go through the ranks,” the source, who refused to be named, said.Party president Hage Geingob’s decision not to endorse his preferred candidate for the vice-president position has also ruffled feathers within Swapo, with some accusing him of abandoning party traditions.Unlike past congresses where Geingob had no choice but to place his own interests at the periphery to accommodate others in exchange for political support, this time around, he has nothing to lose and does not need favours from anyone.Gender conundrumIt is anticipated that Swapo’s constitutional quota for gender parity will be tested to its limits after hopeful candidates like Tom Alweendo and Frans Kapofi made it public that they would like to deputise Geingob.Former central committee member Helmut Angula said ‘zebra style’ remains the ruling party’s golden rule; however, the congress - as the highest decision-making body - can still change the game.This comes after a politburo meeting on Monday confirmed incumbent vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila as candidates contesting for the position, while incumbent secretary-general (SG) Sophia Shaningwa and Armas Amukwiyu will duke it out for the SG position. Lucia Witbooi, David Hamutenya and Evelyn Nawases-Tayele are set to battle it out for the deputy SG spot.“The constitution must be changed to allow for a male candidate to take the vice-president position or for all positions to be occupied by men. One would assume that a nomination is just a nomination. The congress itself can amend the constitution to allow the current quota system,” Angula said.“But ultimately, there are provisions under which this should be done – proposals for amendments must be presented three months ahead of the congress. At the moment, I do not know if such proposals exist.”‘Let the best man win’Former central committee member Dr Richard Kamwi said it had never come to his attention that a candidate should be barred from seeking a position on the basis of gender alone, adding that male candidates should be open to stand for the party’s vice-president position if they chose to.“I look at it as ‘let the best candidate win’. The person will stand as the presidential candidate and I don’t think it has anything to do with the ‘zebra style’. All who are standing are competent stalwarts of the party. Let the best man or woman win,” he said.While the party constitution stipulates that two of the top four positions must be women, it does not outright dictate the zebra style that the party has religiously followed since 2015.However, Kapofi, who harbours ambitions to occupy the party’s vice-president position, said while zebra style is the rule, democracy should be the order of the day.“At the end of the day, it is a democratic process and I am sure the party would guide how the process must unfold,” he said.Zebra vs 50/50Meanwhile, party veteran Nahas Angula said it is too early to speculate on how the party will handle the gender conundrum, but stressed that while the constitution is not explicit on how the quota is to be applied, zebra style has been the norm.Another Swapo veteran who opted not to be named concurred with Angula, saying: “It is not stipulating. You see what is written in that constitution, people confuse it with the zebra style. The zebra style is male, female, male, female, but I think the interpretation for some people is that the 50/50 means zebra style. But that is not what the constitution says, [rather] that two of those positions [top four] are occupied by women,” they argued.jemima@namibiansun.com

Jostling towards November

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-31

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Jostling towards November

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-31

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