By Kuvee Kangueehi
WINDHOEK
A faction of the Congress of Democrats (CoD) has come up with a strategy paper almost similar to the infamous ‘Nyamu notes’ in Swapo in which it weighs various options open to them, including forming a new party.
The paper seriously contemplates the group’s future in the party. The Concerned Group, as they call themselves, met over the weekend to look at various options following their walkout at the extraordinary congress in Keetmanshoop in May and subsequent developments.
The weekend meeting was held at Nora Schimming-Chase’s farm in the Omaheke Region. Group spokesperson, Ignatius Shixwameni, presented a paper which outlines five options the Concerned Group could explore. The options include quitting the CoD and politics, dropping their grievances and accepting the congress results, forming a new party, waiting for the Swapo Party congress and going ahead with the audit.
The gathering, which was termed the ‘CoD Majority National Consultative Meeting’, was attended by close to sixty people and had five agenda points. First on the agenda was the report by the group’s spokesperson on events and developments within the party since the controversial Keetmanshoop congress.
Second on the agenda were regional reports on the political situation and developments in each region. In the paper, Shixwameni presented the likely advantages and disadvantages with every option. The first option is for the group to agree that they had “an emotionally wrong judgment” on the day of the walkout and thus submit to Ben Ulenga and the new leadership, and as individuals be absorbed where possible in the structures or remain as ordinary members.
While others are quitting CoD, dropping their grievances and waiting for the Swapo congress, it is not at all clear why they have considered waiting for the Swapo congress before making a move.
The ‘Shixwameni notes’ are very detailed and provide comparative advantages and disadvantages for every option.
At the meeting, the CoD Concerned Group was expected to critically discuss and debate the options available to them. The group was also expected to settle for one option in the end, which will constitute the group’s stand regarding its future. In its approach the group was cautious and said the decision must be deeply analyzed so as to take the group forward cohesively as they cannot afford to have people falling along the wayside.
At the time of going to print, New Era could not establish from any of the leaders of the Concerned Group what decision was taken but the newspaper has reliably learned that the group chose the option of going ahead with the audit and then to make further decisions after the outcome of the audit.
(See the detailed options on page 4)