MAYANA – Former Kavango Regional Governor, Sebastian Karupu, says people should be honest when they talk about the achievements of Swapo.
Karupu is number five on the Swapo parliamentary list and is assured of a parliamentary seat looking at the way Swapo has performed in previous elections.
He said what Swapo has done in terms of development is visible across the country.
Karupu made these remarks when he addressed a rally on Saturday at Mayana in Rundu Rural Constituency, some 10km east of Rundu.
Karupu said it is because of Swapo that the country got its independence and after liberating the country Swapo further took steps to ensure the Namibian people got education by building schools and institutions of higher learning while peace has been maintained.
“Swapo after winning the first elections in 1989 saw that it was important to reconcile all Namibians since some were used to fight against each other by the Boers, so we went around to talk to people to forget what had happened. Some countries have civil wars after independence, war against themselves, but Swapo realised that cannot happen because we lost a lot of people during the liberation struggle already so we needed to reconcile as Namibians,” Karupu said.
He further said people should not listen to what the minority parties are saying because politicians from the opposition confuse people.
“Some are saying Swapo is not doing anything but they know and are seeing what the Swapo government has done. Schools and hospitals were built and are still being built throughout the country that includes the Kavango. We have six green scheme projects in the two Kavango regions – some are recently established and the others were expanded after independence and to be honest with you all the drought relief maize meal bags that you got are from there,” he said.
“If you hear opposition saying Swapo has done nothing then you should laugh at them because you yourselves know that it’s not true, look at the clinics and roads in your area, some roads leading to farms have been constructed and some are in the pipeline. We have higher learning institutions all across the country now for people to further their studies to get jobs and take the country forward, and all that has been done by Swapo and we will still do more once elected,” said Karupu.
Karupu further urged all to voters not to fear EVMs, adding that some parties have been critical of the voting machines.
“Electronic voting machines (EVMs) are efficient and we have seen it in the recent by-elections in Bukalo, Ohangwena and even in Otjinene where Nudo won and elsewhere. These machines are tested and have proved to be reliable,” he stated.
During the rally, 17 former APP members were welcomed back to the Swapo Party after they willingly decided to leave APP to rejoin Swapo.
“They have noticed that they were confused by the other party so they decided to come back on their own free will. These people are no longer APP members but Swapo members and more are still to come,” said the Swapo councillor for Rundu Rural East Constituency, Michael Shikongo.