WINDHOEK – Barely a week after Nudo heavyweight Benestus Kandundu surprisingly defected to Swapo, the opposition party’s secretary general, Meundju Jahanika, announced his replacement in several capacities he served the party.
Jahanika announced at a press conference yesterday that Kandundu would be replaced by Prisca Kahuure as the party’s councillor on the Windhoek City Council.
Kahuure’s name has been forwarded to the Windhoek City Council for the councillor position and the party was just waiting for her swearing in.
According to Jahanika, Kahuure was not only chosen on the basis of upholding gender equality; she was also a long serving member of the party with leadership qualities, who was also the chief candidate for the Grootfontein by-election.
Nudo decided to replace Kandundu with Kavendjii Tjahuha as the Khomas Region’s acting regional coordinator as well as the national coordinator for elections.
“The deputy president position remains vacant until our extraordinary congress next year,” said Jahanika. He said that the party further decided during their electoral college at Okakarara last weekend that their presidential candidate would be the president of Nudo, Asser Mbai.
He dismissed claims that Nudo was not going to field a presidential candidate for the fifth presidential and National Assembly elections on November 28.
“It’s not true. No such decision was taken by (Nudo’s) national council. As per our constitution, the president of the party is the presidential candidate,” he said, adding that come October 29, they would register Mbai as their candidate.
He also dispelled rumours that the party had taken a decision to throw their weight behind Prime Minister Dr Hage Geingob, who is the presidential candidate for Swapo.
Kandundu joined Swapo last week, saying he was returning home where he originated as a political activist during the apartheid years.
He was Nudo’s acting vice-president, councillor for Katutura Central Constituency as well as the party’s director of elections.
Upon joining, he said that Swapo is a progressive party and its mission has always been to improve people’s lives.
He said there was no bad blood or negative emotions between him and Nudo members because of his departure and they remain his fellow citizens.
Asked whether he was promised a position in Swapo, which prompted the move, Kandundu denied that, saying he was not greedy about positions and was returning as an ordinary member.
Nudo had just appointed Kandundu as acting vice-president following the death of its president Kuaima Riruako, with former vice-president Asser Mbai as acting president in June 2014.
Mbai said the absence of Kandundu would be a loss to the party although he did not want to comment as he had not seen a resignation letter from Kandundu or an indication that he wanted to leave.