By Charles Tjatindi
WALVIS BAY
SWAPO Party member and Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Theopolina Mushelenga, has added her voice to those of other SWAPO Party leaders who are calling on former party members to return to SWAPO.
Mushelenga made the call here when she addressed party members during the ongoing SWAPO Party 48th anniversary celebrations.
She noted that the ruling party commits itself to the development of the country as it has done for the last 18 years, and cautioned party members not to be misled by “prophets of doom and gloom”.
She said that one of the party’s main objectives is to embrace unity of purpose amongst Namibians and dismissed claims that only one tribe has power in the party. According to Mushelenga, such vices are being preached by those that have deviated from the party objectives in desperate efforts to lure others to join them.
“SWAPO’s aim is to instill the spirit of patriotism and to uphold with pride and honour our national symbols. Unity is what guides us through such a process. People should not deliberately deviate from party objectives and then hide behind tribal lines. It is not going to work,” she said.
Quoting events from history, amongst others the Old Location uprising of 10 December 1959, Mushelenga said it was unity of purpose that encouraged the country’s forefathers to take a stand against colonial occupation. It was unity that necessitated the formation of the SWAPO Party – a liberation movement then.
“There was a need to guide and further unite the Namibian people by claiming back what is ours – our land. SWAPO stood up to the challenge and continues to do so until today,” she noted.
She paid tribute to the country’s forefathers in the fight for liberation, noting that although many did not live to enjoy the fruits of their hard toil and labour, present-day generations can honour such commitments by doing away with vices like tribalism and ethnicity. According to Mushelenga, such vices are retrogressive and could halt the economic development of the country.
She noted that the SWAPO-led government has placed economic development high on its list of priorities, and regard it as the second struggle after the struggle for independence. She cited the country’s education system which she said gets the lion’s share of the budget as empowerment of future leaders is imperative for economic development.
SWAPO District Coordinator for Walvis Bay, John Nangolo, noted that the party’s doors are still open for those that have been misled.
“Our doors remain open. Please come back home. Others who were similarly misled have returned home during similar events in Ohangwena, Omuthiya and so on. Do not choose to stay in darkness, return to the light,” he said.
The SWAPO Party is celebrating its 48 anniversary with meetings around the country. The gathering in Walvis Bay attracted hordes of members and supporters, most of them fully clad in the party’s colours. The event kicked off with a march to the Kuisebmond Stadium.