ONGWEDIVA – As heated squabbles between political parties in the north continue, police in Omusati Region decided to hold a meeting with party representatives from Swapo, the DTA and RDP yesterday at Onamhindi village.
Omusati Police Regional Commander Commissioner Shinedima Shindinge said there was “nothing major” to discuss about the meeting as the station commander in that area would simply be mediating between some parties that are quarrelling over a space for erecting party flags in the village.
“One party erected a flag and the other party argued that it was placed too close to their flag. The station commander is only going to mediate so that they can find common grounds,” stated Shindinge.
Over the past few days members of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) and Swapo accused each other of intimidation, assault and damage to campaign materials, including flags and posters.
The latest accusation erupted on Sunday at Onamhindi in the Etayi Constituency where DTA members accused Swapo members of assault and removing flags.
Allegations are that three DTA members were beaten up and police were called to intervene.
According to the DTA chairperson for Ohangwena Region Hidipo Hamata, Swapo members attacked his party members for hoisting a DTA flag on a tree which is at the centre of the Onamhindi cuca shops.
He claims Swapo members also removed a DTA flag from a tree in Omungholyo village.
“Swapo must be reminded that DTA of Namibia is a party which respects the rights of individuals and that of other parties in Namibia and SADC as a whole,” said Hamata.
Hamata urged Swapo members to campaign maturely and allow DTA members to campaign and erect their flags wherever they see it fit to erect a DTA flag.
Swapo Regional Coordinator for Omusati, Erginus Endjala, confirmed the squabbles, but maintained he was not aware of any physical assault of DTA members, but rather an exchange of words between political party members.
He alleged DTA members said their flag disappeared from a tree at cuca shops and decided to confront Swapo members.
“It was just a verbal war, there was no physical brawl according to the information I received,” said Endjala
Meanwhile, three women in Oshakati claim to have suffered several bodily injuries at the hands of Swapo supporters.
Julia Matheus, who received stitches to her face claims that she and two other female RDP members were assaulted with a metal and fists while coming from a bar at Oneshila location in Oshakati wearing RDP T-shirts.
The women claim that it all started with a group of men who were seated at a bar chanting Swapo slogans.
One of them allegedly got into his vehicle and drove toward the women and almost ran over Matheus.
He then brought his vehicle to a standstill and jumped out and started beating Matheus with his fists.
But the two women also started beating up the man, in the alleged defence of their friend.
He then jumped back into his car and returned with a wheel spanner that he used to hit Matheus in the face.
While wrestling with the women, three other men joined the fight to help their male friend.
The alleged scuffle between Swapo and RDP supporters in Oshana Region could however not be confirmed as Oshana Regional Commander Commissioner Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa was in a meeting at the time of going to print.
Swapo Regional coordinator Erastus Kapolo could also not be reached on his mobile phone.
Last week RDP secretary Immanuel Shikongo found himself behind bars after he allegedly assaulted a female security guard at Ondangwa who identified herself as a Swapo supporter.
Shikongo was among a group of RDP supporters accused of removing posters from lamp posts in Ondangwa and replacing them with those of RDP.
Shikongo and his followers however denied these allegations, claiming they only placed RDP posters on the same poles as Swapo had done, which according to him is a common practice in other regions.