Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa says the party accepts that independent presidential candidate Dr Panduleni Itula, with effect from the date of his registration with the Electoral Commission of Namibia, has irreversibly ex-communicated himself as a Swapo member. This in effect makes the dentist no longer a member of Swapo. In a public statement read on her behalf by Swapo secretary for information Hilma Nicanor on Friday, Shaningwa said Swapo has noted with immense concern that Itula, despite him publicly proclaiming that he is a Swapo party member, decided to register himself as a presidential candidate in direct competition with and against the party’s nominated and sole candidate.