RUNDU – The Swapo Party held its first official star rally in the town of Rundu, Kavango East on Saturday September 20 and over 2000 supporters flocked to the Rundu Sports Stadium to be addressed by the Swapo Party’s presidential candidate, Dr Hage Geingob. Geingop told the mass that Swapo Party is a trendsetter, adding that there are some parties, groups, formations who are good copy cats but not good learners. “They never knew the idea of a manifesto, DTA that time, they were supposed to be a big party and we used to say Swapo of Namibia that time because we were in exile, outside Namibia, there was a purpose for that. Then they copied, DTA of Namibia, then we had a manifesto and then they tried to sabotage and they developed a small manifesto, so we are the trendsetters,” Hage said.
He also introduced the party manifesto to the public, saying it will be translated in local languages. “Here is the manifesto, a manifesto is a document in which you list what you have done and what you are going to do and ask for people to buy in to go and vote for Swapo. This document will be translated in our languages so that we can understand and buy into it to go and vote for Swapo,” Hage said.
Geingob urged Rally for Democracy and Progress president, Hidipo Hamutenya to come back to Swapo, telling the crowd: “Hidipo said that he is the only one who can defeat me. Did you hear that rumour? He is my brother I want to appeal to him seriously that he must just come back and sit behind me, really. Honourable Hidipo was always my deputy, so let us hold hands, read the manifesto that outlined things we have done and things we are planning to do in the second phase of the struggle which is economic freedom,” Hage said.
The Swapo vice president furthermore urged Swapo members not to disrupt other parties’ events. “Don’t give the losers an excuse to cry foul, don’t disrupt their gatherings. Don’t disrupt them because they will then say we lost because those people disrupted us, don’t give them excuses, let them lose on their own,” he said.
The official star rally was attended by cabinet ministers, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, Pohamba Shifeta,Rtd Gen Charles Namoloh, Rosalia Nghidinua to name a few, and regional governors were Sampofu from Zambezi Region, Usko Nghaamwa from Ohangwena Region, Sirkka Ausiku of Kavango West, Dr Samuel Mbambo of Kavango East and Penda ya Ndakolo from Ohangwena Region and party officials who made it onto the party list for National assembly and also the chief of the Vagciriku tribe of Kavango East, Kassian Shiyambi was present with the Hambukushu chief Munika Mbambo.