Lahja Nashuuta
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has been hit by back-to-back resignations of two senior party members in less than a week.
Former Member of Parliament Esmeralda !Aebes resigned from the party yesterday, citing deep-rooted factionalism, betrayal, and a lack of stability within the opposition movement. Her resignation came just a day after another former MP, Yvette Araes announced her departure from PDM.
!Aebes, who previously served as the party’s shadow minister of education, confirmed her resignation to New Era yesterday. She said her decision comes amid ongoing internal divisions and follows years of frustration with the party’s handling of internal affairs.
!Aebes was among six MPs recalled after a lengthy legal battle, in which another group of six claimed they were the rightful nominations to PDM’s 2019 parliamentary list but had been replaced. That dispute, she said, played a significant role in her resignation decision.
She recalled that on 16 October 2019, PDM’s secretary-general advised her to resign from her teaching post at the Ministry of Education, claiming it was a requirement of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) for her to remain on the parliamentary list.
“Although my school principal warned that this interpretation might be incorrect, I was once again urged on 17 October to resign within 24 hours and provide written confirmation from my school,” she said.
At the time, !Aebes had served the ministry for more than 11 years and was in the process of purchasing an erf in Otjiwarongo as a first-time buyer. She was forced to cancel the purchase deal after her resignation.
On 18 October, she said, the secretary-general confirmed receipt of her resignation and promised that her name would be submitted to the ECN. Shortly afterwards, she was instructed to attend a party rally in Kamanjab. But weeks later, she learned through acquaintances that her name had been omitted from the gazetted parliamentary list published in New Era.
“This development came without prior communication or explanation from the party,” she said, adding that despite repeated inquiries, she received no clear guidance and was only told the omissions might be linked to employment records.
The situation left her without an income for six months. During that period, she relied on external assistance to support her daughter’s education.
“It was devastating. I had resigned under pressure, yet the omissions were never rectified. Only after I was sworn in on 20 March 2020 did I resume getting an income,” she said.
Her disillusionment deepened two years later at a Central Committee meeting, where she asked why their names had been omitted from the parliamentary list. “I was told only that ‘legal advice’ had informed the decision. My dissatisfaction remains, especially since no effort was made to publicly clarify or correct the matter in the media,” she said.
According to !Aebes, PDM has been plagued by factionalism, with opportunities and resources distributed along political loyalty lines. She also accused the party’s Kunene South regional coordinator of practicing divisive politics, which contributed to her decision to quit the party.
“For me, the prolonged financial, emotional, and mental toll has been severe. My daughter was denied scholarships because of my political affiliation, and I lost a stable career that could have sustained my family. I can no longer remain affiliated with a political organization that has diminished my livelihood, my well-being, and my quality of life,” she stressed.
On her part, Araes, however, cited personal reasons for the resignation.
“I joined PDM at a tender age and served at different levels of leadership, including parliament. I think I have done my part, and it is now time to move on,” Araes told New Era.
PDM’s secretary-general Manuel Ngarigombe confirmed both resignations.
“Yes, we received the resignations from the two members. PDM appreciates their contributions and wishes them the best of luck in their future endeavours. It is their democratic right, and we respect that,” he said.