LPM, govt fallout threatens Heroes’ Day event

The government, in a statement released Saturday night, said it "will not tolerate sabotage" of the Heroes Day commemoration taking place at Mariental this weekend.The statement was issued after Hardap regional council chairperson Gerson Dausab withdrew council staff members from the national preparatory committee for the event.The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) took full control of the Hardap and //Karas regions during the last elections. Both regions were formerly strongholds of the governing party, Swapo, and LPM, and both regions have since cried foul over alleged sabotage by the central government.During a press conference on Friday, Dausab, who represents LPM, criticised the attitude of Hardap governor Salmon April and the exclusion and disrespect shown towards the local leadership in organising the event.“I will not allow people to disrespect me in our house. Hardap is our house. You have decided that everything must go through this government. I am pleading to you, Governor April, to apologise publicly to all local authorities, the regional council, the traditional authorities, in the spirit of nation-building,” said Dausab.“Since the governor serves at the pleasure of President Hage Geingob, maybe it is the pleasure of the president to disrespect and undermine the authorities in the region. President Geingob, I hope you are not undermining the will of the people; that you do not disrespect the elections that took place. I hope that is not the case, I hope you are a decent man, a man of integrity and that you will put a leash on your dog. We also wonder if this is a ploy of the central government,” he added.ailed engagementsDausab said he recently visited the office of the urban and rural development ministry, where he met with deputy minister Natalia /Goagoses, who reportedly called the ministry’s executive director, Daniel Nghidinua."They said they will convey the message to the Prime Minister, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, and the information ministry, and I was hoping to get at least an engagement with those offices. Only to find out that the secretary to Cabinet, George Simaata, a person not elected by the people, wrote me a letter asking me to work with the government without dealing with the merit of the case. I also received a letter from the [urban and rural development] minister, Erastus Uutoni, using the same phrases Simaata used, imploring me to work with the government," said Dausab.He told the media that these responses showed that the regional government, dominated by LPM, is not recognised."The action of the governor is a clear undermining, disregard and disrespect of the will of the people," he said.UnacceptableIn a statement issued on Saturday, executive director of the ministry of information, Audrin Mathe, reiterated that the commemorative event in Mariental will go ahead with or without the participation of the Hardap regional council."The national preparatory committee under the chairperson of the Secretary of the Cabinet, Dr George Simaata, has mobilised the required human resources to execute the decisions communicated to the Hardap regional council and the public.""The government will have zero visibility of any attempts to sabotage the commemorations," Mathe said.jemima@namibiansun.com

LPM, govt fallout threatens Heroes’ Day event

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

Please login to leave a comment

LPM, govt fallout threatens Heroes’ Day event

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

Please login to leave a comment

Login