The apparent disregard for the Swapo party constitution by the district leadership of Grootfontein has gone on for too long and as a result the party is fast losing credibility and substance in the community, a fact demonstrated in the shrinking of Swapo votes at Grootfontein.
The district leadership runs the affairs of the party as if it’s running a private shebeen; underhanded tactics are the order of the day and transparency and accountability have for long not seen the light of day at the Swapo office in Grootfontein.
The coordinator, Councillor Absai Haimene, does not respect or uphold the party constitution. He issues party membership cards to his loyalists and denies cards to other Swapo members, whom he deems as not his sympathisers.
The branches are to be restructured and he is refusing to avail the programme of restructuring of branches. The coordinator and his henchmen pitch up any time at branches unannounced then start restructuring any branch without meeting the quorum. They then draw up a fake attendance list to make it look like the quorum was met. This happened again at the just-ended Women’s Council restructuring process at Grootfontein.
The other issue we are hearing is that the office of the SG has resolved that the current regional councillor’s position will not be contested at party level. This decision is reportedly rubberstamped by the office of the SG, but is it constitutional to force a candidate upon the people Cde SG? What happened to the due process of holding a district conference where a regional councillor gets elected?
We, the Swapo community of Grootfontein demand transparency and not dictator-like tendencies where frail leaders are imposed on us. Let us decide (through fair nominations and elections) who we want to lead us. Cde Otto Ipinge and the regional executive must stop interfering in this regard.
Concerned Swapo members,
Grootfontein