OMUSHESHE – The Deputy Minister of Defence Petrus Ilonga said there is no division in Swapo as portrayed by certain individuals whom he accused of wanting to cause division and confusion amongst party members.
Addressing a belated independence celebration at Omushesheshe village in Oshana Region on Saturday, he said certain elements want to sow division and chaos within the ruling party by spreading rumours that Swapo is divided into camps and tribal affiliations, which according to him is not true.
“The same people that accuse others of tribalism are the same people that practise tribalism every day, yet they are accusing Swapo of tribalism,” charged Illonga.
Iilonga said it is part and parcel of Swapo policies to have candidates elected during the congress but that does not mean the party is divided.
“There is nothing like Ekandjo’s camp or Ithana’s camp. When we go for elections in November we must all go and vote for Comrade Hage Geingob. We should not try and attempt to emulate the example of countries where people vote for the party and not for the president,” said Iilonga.
According to him, Namibia is however not immune to tribal conflicts, maintaining that if people embrace tribalism, similiar ethnic conflicts such as those occurring in other African countries such as Kenya, Egypt and Libya could also be replicated in Namibia.
“Tribalism is dangerous, it is a murderer. In my opinion, it is worse than HIV, because with HIV one can go on treatment and lead a normal life but in tribal wars all of us can die on the same day,” cautioned Iilonga.
Constituency Councillor Rosalia Shilenga who also spoke during the event said thousands of community members within her constituency have certainly enjoyed the fruits of independence over the last 24 years.
Shilenga said a number of developmental projects, among them rural water supply, an established road network, rural electrification and community income generation projects have been attained. She said at least 98 percent of Okatana has access to potable water, while 99.8 percent of children of school-going age are in school.
Shilenga said a number of schools in her community were renovated while some have received complete new buildings.
Decent buildings and other facilities however remain a challenge at some schools, including Omushehe Combined School where the event took place.
Shilenga said the school is in need of an administration block, as the current one that was constructed by the community is old.
By Helvy Shaanika