Matheus Hamutenya
KEETMANSHOOP – Some Swapo members in the //Kharas Region are allegedly involved in a covert political strategy to unseat Jan Scholtz as //Kharas chairperson.
Scholtz was initially elected as chairperson in 2010 and continues to hold that position. The status quo was set to remain after a directive from Swapo Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa that all chairpersons and management committee members at all regional councils should not be changed.
But New Era understands that some Swapo members are challenging the directive by the powerful Swapo SG, as they no longer want Scholtz as chairperson.
Sources New Era spoke to indicated a meeting was held on May 30 at the Swapo regional office at Keetmanshoop during which the matter was discussed and that a decision was taken that Karasburg East Constituency Councillor Dennis Coetzee replaces Scholtz as chairperson.
It was allegedly decided at the same meeting that a regional executive committee meeting be called to back the decision, so that it serves as motivation when the regional leadership forward their request to Shaningwa.
Contacted for comment on the matter, Swapo //Kharas regional coordinator Matheus Mumbala would not deny or confirm that such a meeting took place, saying he cannot respond to things he is not aware of and insisted that this reporter reveal his source.
“Which meeting? Where did you get that? I cannot respond to someone I do not know, I do not respond to ghosts,” he said.
Mumbala said whoever is responsible for bringing such information to the media must come out and say exactly what was said in the supposed meeting and by whom, before he can comment on the issue.
“I cannot recall for now – these are just rumours, so the person who said this must come out and say Mumbala said this, so that we can face each other, give me your informer, I cannot respond to a ghost,” he said when asked if such a meeting took place. He added that many meetings take place at the Swapo office, where many issues affecting the region are discussed, but noted that the party has never called a meeting to discuss an individual, and thus he cannot remember such a discussion, saying “this is just a political witch-hunt”.
Scholtz was also unaware of such a meeting, as he insisted that he is only aware of the directive from the Swapo secretary general.
“I am not aware of such a meeting, I am only aware of the directive from the SG and that’s it, so any other developments I am not aware of,” he said when contacted for comment.