The majority of local authority councillors serving on the Swapo ticket at Katima Mulilo were eliminated during an intra-party contest to elect candidates for the upcoming election.
Those who failed to make the cut include mayor Georgina Mwiya-Simataa and her deputy mayor Charles Matengu. Councillors Esther Sankwasa, Judith Muhongo-Mapenzi, Salubila Maswahu, Munalula Sikosi could also not make it to the list of seven candidates. Only councillor Lister Shamalaza made the cut.
John Ntemwa, Simanga Chiza, Mapenzi Namangolwa, Sipapela Progress, Khama Sehwe and Sikwala Screven are the other nominated Swapo candidates. The regional council and local authority elections are set for 25 November.
Swapo coordinator in the Zambezi region, Moffat Sileze also added that of the eight constituencies, four will have new candidates for the regional council elections, while four incumbent councillors prevailed during the various district conferences.
The new faces are Vincent Sinalumbu for Judea Lyabboloma constituency, Bernard Sisamu for Kabbe North, John Makaya for Katima Mulilo Urban and Sonia Musukubili-Mwangela for Linyanti. The old faces include Kabbe South councillor John Likando, Walter Simushi for Katima Rural, and Ignatius Chunga for Sibbinda and David Muluti for Kongola.
The regional coordinator encouraged all Swapo members in the eight districts to rally and give support to all these candidates. However, he said the only youth is female candidate Musukubili-Mwangela for Linyanti.
– anakale@nepc.com.na
“As a regional coordinator, I am going to mobilise the masses at grassroots level to vote for Swapo candidates. I am encouraging Swapo members to vote for our party candidates although we didn’t get 50/50 gender representation. It’s a pity we didn’t get more women candidates at regional council, but I am satisfied with female candidates at town council and village council levels,” Sileze said.
– anakale@nepc.com.na