By Kuvee Kangueehi
Windhoek
Swapo Party Chief Whip, Ben Amathila, says he was the convener of a meeting that was meant to reconcile Minister of Information and Broadcasting Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and deputy Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development Kazenambo Kazenambo.
Amathila said he was not mandated by the Head of State Hifikepunye Pohamba to call the meeting.
Speaking to the New Era yesterday, Amathila refuted speculations that he was mandated by Pohamba and said the initiative was his own in his capacity as chief whip of the party.
The revelation by Amathila adds more mystery surrounding the meeting as Prime Minister Nahas Angula stated earlier that the meeting was convened by the Secretary-General of the party, Ngarikutuke Tjiriange. However, Tjiriange on his part said he was only invited to the meeting and did not call the meeting. He added that he saw nothing wrong in the satements made by Kazenambo in the National Assembly to warrant a hearing.
Amathila, however, confirmed that he did approach Pohamba regarding the issue but briefed the president about the incident because the latter is also the vice-president of the party. He said that, as chief whip of the party, he is vested with powers by the party constitution to call in any Swapo Party MP to discuss the individuals’ behaviour in parliament. He noted that the meeting was not a hearing as he was not planning to take disciplinary action against either of the two lawmakers.
He noted that, as chief whip, he is not answerable to the Swapo Parliamentary Caucus, saying the caucus had been created on an ad hoc basis to address parliamentary issues.
Rather, he is answerable to the Swapo Party politburo which had appointed him. He highlighted that some of the powers vested in him as the chief whip include making recommendations to the politburo to take action against any MP.
Amathila, however, declined to reveal details about what transpired during the meeting that he convened. Others attending the meeting were Prime Minister Nahas Angula and Swapo Party Secretary-General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange.
Amathila said revealing what transpired at the meeting would compromise his effort to reconcile the two parliamentarians. He added that the process was still on and that efforts are underway to find an amicable solution to the problem.
The pair clashed in parliament a fortnight ago during a debate on a motion on morality and respect which was tabled by Swapo Party MP Peya Mushelenga last month.
During the contribution, Kazenambo took a swipe at some senior ministers and charged that they were hypocrites and tribalists. He claimed that some senior party members had been calling other senior party members derogatory names because of their ethnicity while accusing them of being CIA agents. On her part, Ndaitwah responded to Kazenambo’s comments by saying it was disrespectful of him to make such comments against senior party members.
However, Kazenambo does not see the meeting called by Amathila as one of reconciliation. Yesterday, the youthful MP termed it a ‘kangaroo court’ and a political witch-hunt. He noted that, when he entered the room where the meeting was taking place, it was clear that a verdict had been reached and that those present were simply waiting to sentence him.
He stated that Angula told him he needed to have discipline, while Amathila started a long lecture. He noted that the meeting was very hostile. As part of their evidence, those present only had his speech and the comments he made in a newspaper, but not Ndaitwah’s speech or comments.
Kazenambo added that Amathila also informed him that he was mandated by the head of State Hifikepunye Pohamba to convene the meeting.
He said he had asked for the discussions to be recorded or that he call in a representative from the party to listen in as a witness, but the request was denied, adding: “I excused myself from the meeting because there was simply no natural justice in the entire process.”
Kazenambo said he would not refuse to attend any meeting on the subject as long as such a meeting was transparent and that proper procedures are followed.