Keetmashoop
DTA president McHenry Venaani says the regional council and local authority elections will be a contest primarily between his party and Swapo.
He made the remark while addressing a well-attended party rally at Keetmanshoop on Saturday. A fired-up Venaani said the real battle in the upcoming elections will be between the DTA and Swapo, as apparently the other parties are there merely as a formality. “This election is between Swapo and the DTA, the rest of the parties are wasting their time,” he said.
Venaani further stressed that the DTA – the official opposition party – is the only party that can challenge the ruling Swapo Party and remains the only other rational option for the voters.
“All the other parties are dying. Nambinga can say what he wants, RDP is dead, CoD is dead,” he said on the state of affairs among other previously strong opposition parties, whose fortunes seem to be waning.
The DTA leader also called on the government to declare a state of emergency and accelerate drought aid, saying farmers that have sold their livestock are yet to receive their incentives, which are aimed at helping farmers cope with the drought situation.
He also urged government to develop a sound approach to accelerate the Namibian economy to ensure job creation that will benefit the masses, as opposed to the proposed solidarity tax.
Venaani further said that funds could be generated from other sources for the fight against poverty and not necessarily by taxing people twice, saying: “Solidarity tax should be the last option”.
He also took a swipe at government for appointing governors, saying there is nothing democratic about that, stressing that the appointment of governors was introduced by the Swapo-led government as a way to win votes in the Kunene Region, which is a DTA stronghold. Venaani said it’s not acceptable anymore that the government imposes leaders on the people and called for governors to be elected, instead of appointed.
He also called on DTA members to turn out in numbers and vote for the party’s candidates. He claimed there is progress and development in those areas that his party currently governs.