The Swapo Party Congress starts next week amid serious challenges in terms of the political tempo within the party itself and the country. It is so near and yet so far for the party.
The Government under the Swapo Party has done so much since independence to alleviate the plight of Namibians previously excluded from many fields through segregation.
Needless to say a lot has been achieved in the various fields. Water and health have been extended to many rural areas as well as education.
New roads have been built. President Hifikepunye Pohamba in the Kavango Region unveiled one such road project a week ago. Electricity and other energy projects are to be found is many remote areas that previously did not have them. Many agricultural and aquaculture schemes have been rolled out to the different regions for the benefit of all.
Among these are the Green Scheme and the many fish farm projects whose yield has been good during the past few years. Generally, prospects for a better economic outlook are not only hidden in statistical data but they are there for the people to see. It is these successes that the Swapo Party Congress must focus on and seek to consolidate. The congress should not allow itself to be side-tracked by less important issues however tempting this might be.
The people of this country have mandated the Swapo Party to change their lives for the better, a mammoth task for a country that has just emerged out of war.
Therefore, the congress next week offers the ruling party an opportunity to reflect on the challenges facing the country. These challenges include high unemployment, the state of education, HIV/AIDS, poverty and other social maladies.
The Swapo Party Congress needs to look beyond what the Government and party have achieved and chart a road map for the future in terms of the country’s Vision 2030.
The congress will do well to deliberate on how future peace and stability could be maintained. Without any doubt, peace is number one priority.
The coming congress is important in more ways than one. Apart from the burning issues that need to be addressed, next week’s congress would be the last for President Sam Nujoma as party leader.
Nujoma who has led Swapo for more than forty years has indicated that he would not be available for re-election as party leader. Vice President Hifikepunye Pohamba is the likely successor. While no fundamental change is expected in terms of policies and ideology, Swapo without Nujoma at the helm would not be the same. Pohamba’s style of leadership is definitely different from Nujoma’s and depending on the dynamics of politics in the country, things could change dramatically. The transition from Nujoma to Pohamba will have to be effectively managed if the party is to retain its superiority.
Hence, the Swapo Party has to subject itself to a robust debate at next week’s congress in order to position itself strategically. It needs a thorough introspection and an open debate about its strength and weaknesses given the latest political developments in the country.
The party also needs to look at its criteria for electing leaders. Apart from its liberation credentials, one of Swapo’s draw cards is Nujoma. Without doubt, Nujoma has always been Swapo’s best weapon. The party needs to ask itself what it would do without its greatest draw card after the coming congress.
And within its ranks it should not reward leaders who have a track record of not serving the interests of the people that they were elected to serve in the first place. Without finger-pointing the key Ministry of Health has performed far below par, and education is another area of concern.
The Ministry of Lands and Resettlement has also not been convincing in the manner in which it has resettled some of the previously landless Namibians, while the Ministry of Trade and Industry could do even better in attracting more investors to Namibia. These are but some of the pressing issues that congress should vigorously address.
Swapo has incredible tenacity and perseverance and we would not be surprised if the party comes out of the current impasse even more stronger.
This party that successfully transformed itself from a guerrilla movement to a ruling party has what it takes to make stunning achievements. It has a history of fighting like a wounded tiger especially when it senses danger and its survival instincts are enormous.
Next week’s congress has to prove just that. Swapo has to prove wrong those who are writing its political obituary. It has staying power. But that can only be if leaders close ranks next week and elect the best team. Lastly, the new president of Swapo will have to step up to the plate. With Swapo out of Nujoma’s shadow, he will have his hands full and as they say, politics is not for the faint hearted. It is a tough game and things are getting tough.