Swapo politburo endorses NEKA affiliation

The ruling Swapo Party’s politburo has accepted the Namibian Exile Kids Association’s (NEKA) application to become an affiliate of the party, a development that is expected to feature prominently at the association’s elective annual general meeting slated for this weekend.

This is contained in a letter written by the party’s secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa on 30 October 2023.

“The political bureau of Swapo Party has ratified the admission of NEKA as an affiliate of the Swapo Party. The Swapo Party department of legal affairs has also ascertained the alignment of the draft NEKA constitution to that of the Swapo Party, and the draft constitution of NEKA has been found to be in conformity with the provisions of the constitution of Swapo,” her letter read.

She added: “Your application and draft constitution will therefore be referred to the Swapo Party secretariat and the political bureau for further scrutiny, and subsequently to the central committee to determine the amount of admission and membership fees payable by NEKA”.

Jostling for top spots

One of the agenda items at NEKA’s annual general meeting is proposed amendments to its constitution, which will be overseen by lawyer Fillemon Wise Immanuel.

This weekend will see a two-horse race between incumbent Rauna Amutati and her deputy Kadiva Hamutumwa for the position of NEKA president.

The application to become an affiliate of the ruling party is basically cast in stone, and will allow the association to send a delegation to the Swapo electoral college, where the party draws up its National Assembly list. There are talks that the opportunity to go the electoral college is the reason behind the intense jostling for top positions.

This will be the association’s second elective congress since its inception in 2008, which will present delegates with an opportunity decide which candidate is best placed to lead its affairs.

Political manoeuvring

At this stage, NEKA insiders claim the shadow over this weekend’s congress is cast by intense underground political manoeuvring in order to land the association’s top three positions - president, vice-president and secretary-general.

For the vice-president position, Ndilimani Cultural Troupe lead singer Ileni Castro will contest against Sackey Nendongo and incumbent secretary-general Mao Angula.

Namasiku Lizazi and Elizabeth Shimwafeni will battle it out for the secretary-general post.

Amutati, a founding member of NEKA and long-term member of its executive, is running for her second term, but insiders say Hamutumwa is hell-bent on taking over the reins.

NEKA’s leadership is seemingly divided between the two, with those supporting Hamutumwa claiming that she holds a transformational agenda and new ideas which will take NEKA and the welfare of its members to greater heights, while Amutati’s followers believe that, as a founding member, she has continuously championed the plight of children of the liberation struggle - even when the ruling party and some quarters were opposed to NEKA’s formation in 2008.

At each other’s throats

Concerned NEKA members have voiced qualms about the ongoing campaign process.

“NEKA’s affiliation to the ruling party has not even been endorsed yet, but the leaders are already at each other’s throats for positions. It is clear that the possibility of going to the Swapo electoral college is a major motivating factor,” an insider said.

NEKA has repeatedly called on government to include the so-called ‘struggle kids’ in the Veterans’ Act as the legal instrument that caters for the welfare of those who sacrificed their lives during the liberation struggle.

This comes after the High Court in 2021 set aside a Cabinet resolution that made special provision for children of the liberation struggle to be given government jobs without following due process.

Angula yesterday said it is all systems go for this weekend’s activities.

“The arrangements are well in progress and we are busy finalising the candidate list,” he said.