TSUMEB- The country’s main opposition Rally for Democarcy and Progress (RDP) suffered a major setback in the Tsumeb constituency after one of its most prominent members returned to the fold of the ruling party recently.
Former Nomtsoub Primary School principal, Isaskar Goaseb, defected to the RDP in March 2008, but decided to make a contribution towards the campaign of Swapo Party presidential candidate Dr. Hage Geingob during this year’s general national elections slated for November.
“I have left Swapo because I was misled and made to believe that it became tribally orientated shortly after independence. The reality on the ground encouraged me more and more, because it is evident that the party stood by its principles of inclusivity,” he said.
He told New Era the opposition party failed to set a clear agenda for development and progress. “I took many members to RDP but I will return them all to Swapo Party at the right time. We are all a mixture of people from the south, north, west and east and have full confidence in the ability of Geingob to strengthen the foundation laid by his predecessors,” said Goaseb.
An en-masse defection of RDP supporters is reportedly in the pipeline in the Oshikoto Region and will likely cripple the party (RDP) to a large extend since it will not only involve ordinary members, but will include some of the party’s founding members. The Swapo Party district mobilizer, Lebbeus Tobias welcomed Goaseb and praised him for his solid liberation struggle credentials.
“I am happy to see people who led the liberation fight to its logical conclusion returning to the party, whilst putting aside differences of the past. When we grew up here, we could associate Swapo Party with people like you, because you were the only people we saw in the party colours at rallies and at school when the colonial police were arresting our Swapo members and supporters,” said the party’s district mobiliser. Tobias further said he has no doubt that more members will return to the party unconditionally.
“I say unconditionally, because you are rejoining as an individual and not because of tribal orientation A or B was promised anything by whoever, if you rejoin the party. Your conscience should be right when you take the decision to come back home. In fact all are welcome,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ruling party’s coordinator in the Oshikoto Region, Armas Amukwiyu, urged eligible voters to register to vote for the ruling party. Amukwiyu said only people who were “not right in their minds” would vote for the opposition, because the opposition had time and again proved that they had nothing to offer, while on the other hand the ruling party has brought about development. He added that if voters returned the ruling party the mandate to continue governing the country, it would build on the strong foundations that it already established in the areas of good governance, service delivery and the development of infrastructure.
Amukwiyu said the ruling party is committed to developing and extending infrastructure in all 13 regions of the country to improve the lives of all Namibians.
By Engel Nawatiseb