Windhoek
New Okahandja mayor Johannes ‘Congo’ Hindjou – accused by some residents of only joining Swapo last year – faces a baptism of fire in mainstream politics after calls to expel him from the ruling party.
Hindjou, a midfielder of repute during his time with the national football team Brave Warriors, is under investigation following allegations that he and other Swapo councillors at the ‘garden town’ breached the party’s rules and procedures ahead of last year’s regional and local elections. Some are accused of having dual party membership while others are said to have joined the ruling party just recently, and therefore did not qualify to run for leadership positions on the Swapo ticket.
The Swapo council members for Okahandja are Hindjou (mayor), Sofia Uupithe (deputy mayor), Gideon Uwu-Khaeb, Helmie Maruru and Hileni Iita.
The other two council members are Sylvia Karuuombe and Frederik Shimanda.
It is alleged that some only became Swapo members last year, ahead of the elections.
A concerned group at Okahandja is now baying for the blood of the Swapo councillors, alleging that Uwu-Khaeb and Uupithe have been UDF members but received Swapo membership only last year.
A letter containing these and other allegations was sent to Swapo secretary general Nangolo Mbumba with a request to take punitive measures against the said councillors.
Swapo’s regional coordinator for Otjozondjupa Region, Susan Hikopua, yesterday said she was not aware of the letter sent to Mbumba in which the expulsion of the Swapo councillors is mooted.
“In December I attended a meeting with the secretary general in Okahandja where we met some disgruntled party members,” she told New Era.
“I told them that they should forward their complaints to my office so that we can look into them but they never did.”
Hikopua said all candidates were vetted and they met the requirements.
New Era could not get hold of Mbumba yesterday afternoon but he was quoted by Oshili24 as saying: “Yes, I have queries coming from Okahandja. There are inconsistencies emanating from the primaries right up to the eventual elections.”Hindjou downplayed the allegations saying it is a political ploy spearheaded by those who lost during the primaries to discredit the incumbent council.
“This is politics and one has to be strong. When people lose power they come up with all sorts of excuses to come back through the backdoor,” he said. Hindjou said his detractors cannot accept the fact that the current council is receiving much more support from the Okahandja public than the previous council.
“People claim that because my father was a DTA member it also makes me one. My father died in 1991 when I was still a young boy playing soccer in the streets of Okahandja and I was not even active in politics,” he said.
As for allegations that he only became a Swapo member last year, Hindjou said he formally joined the party in 2004.
“In 2008 my documents, membership card included, were stolen and I made a police declaration…I still have the proof, therefore anyone who disputes that can come and see it for themselves,” said Hindjou. He said he has not received any communication from the party leadership regarding a pending probe into the allegations.
“Those who are against us see that things are moving and the community is beginning to trust the municipality again, hence they want to come up with these allegations,” he said.