National Unity Democratic Organisation secretary general Joseph Kauandenge has denied any links to the newly established Association for Localised Interest (ASOLI) movement.
ASOLI was recently registered with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).
Growing murmurs linking Kauandenge to ASOLI comes just days after the veteran politician announced his plans to formally tender his resignation as Nudo secretary general at the upcoming National Executive Committee Meeting set for Windhoek tomorrow.
“Our secretary general, Joseph Kauandenge is the owner of this association. If you look at all its addresses, erf number and Postal address, all belong to him. So, he is not going to retire as he claims and forming a party of his own,” a Nudo insider briefed on the matter told New Era over two weeks ago.
On Wednesday, Kauandenge announced his decision to step down from the position, with less than a month remaining before the party holds its watershed elective congress.
It remains unclear why Kauandenge chose to resign while busy organising the party’s congress.
“In order to organise a congress, you need money. Looking at the state of the party right now, it might take us two to three months to be able to hold a congress,” Kauandenge told NBC Omurari FM’s Keetute show yesterday.
Commenting on the purported relations with the new political association, whose head office reportedly shares the same residential address and banking details as those of Kauandenge, the politician yesterday said he had no knowledge of such information and strongly denied any dealings with ASOLI.
“I have no comment for now,” Kauandenge, who served on Nudo’s ticket in the Windhoek municipal council between 2015 and 2018 and then as a member of Parliament from 2020 until March this year, briefly responded yesterday.
According to available information, ASOLI’s official office is at Erf 1035 on Independence Avenue in Katutura, Windhoek, and is led by president and authorised representative Godfried Kauhanda, while Shivela Haraseb serves as its acting secretary.
Other additions that form part of ASOLI’s leadership are Windich Muvangua, Juliane Hoaes and Ben Horaeb.
The ECN recently announced the registration of ASOLI as an association under the Electoral Act of 2014 and published in the Government Gazette No. 8585 a 30-day window from 4 March to 4 April 2025 for any registered organisation or individual to raise objections against ASOLI’s registration.
“Pursuant to Section 148(7) of the Electoral Act, Act No. 5 of 2014, as amended, the Electoral Commission of Namibia hereby formally announces the registration of ASOLI, inviting objections from any duly registered organisation or association within the designated period,” Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer Peter Shaama announced.
Warning
In this week’s letter addressed to Nudo’s leadership, as well as to party president Utjiua Muinjangue, Kauandenge warned that the party’s diminishing popularity is facing an existential threat due to internal squabbles, an obsolete political programme and a changing political landscape.
“My parting words, however, will be that the world and country are changing. If the party is to survive and remain standing for generations to come, it needs to adjust its political programme and do away with factional squabbles. The political dynamics of our country are changing, and for Nudo to remain standing and relevant for decades to come, we need a serious introspection of where we are and where the party is headed,” he cautioned.