Clemans Miyanicwe
Windhoek-UDF Secretary-General Hage Gawaseb says his party, whose biggest base is in the Kunene Region, is fast penetrating the Zambezi and southern regions ahead of next year’s general elections.
“We are mobilising our members in the Zambezi Region and hope to get more votes from there. This shows UDF is not a party for a certain tribe as some people see it but we are across tribal lines,” Gawaseb told New Era last week.
Eveline Sitali, regional mobiliser for UDF in Zambezi Region said: “We trust the party (UDF) and thus we have joined it.”
Sitali, who has been a UDF member for about 15 years, said the party has received more than 300 members since last year in addition to the 600 members, which the party already had in the region.
She also revealed that most of these members are in Katima Mulilo, while others are scattered around villages in the region.
Sitali is optimistic that UDF will get a seat in the Katima Mulilo Town Council in the near future, saying: “Yes, I am prepared to mobilise more members to at least gain one seat.”
UDF needs an office in Zambezi Region to function more efficiently, Sitali said.
On southern regions, Gawaseb said that UDF has been working on branches in Gibeon, Mariental and Rehoboth. “We are busy working on our branches in the south and we want to gain seats there as this will be very fruitful to us. We will be united and get more votes from that side,” Gawaseb said confidently.
The top UDF leadership plans to visit branches in the south in the coming months although dates have not been set yet. New Era was also informed that UDF leaders were scheduled to visit areas in northern Kunene Region last weekend to mobilise its members. The party has more than 10 branches in northern Kunene Region.
Gawaseb said his party wants to have more candidates for local authority and regional elections in next year’s elections.
UDF used to have one seat in Windhoek but lost it and its strong influence was battered by Swapo in Kunene Region, where it was dominating since independence.