Matheus Hamutenya
Keetmanshoop-//Kharas delegates to the highly anticipated Swapo Party congress have shot down attempts by presidential hopeful Nahas Angula to get their support in his bid to clinch the Swapo party presidency.
The former prime minister, in the //Kharas Region on Thursday, called for a meeting with the regional coordinator, Matheus Mumbala, and all delegates heading to the congress.
Although a meeting was agreed to, New Era understands that the delegates had initially refused as the meeting was not planned, and they are on a regional tour.
Speaking to New Era just after the closed door meeting, which lasted for about an hour, Angula told New Era the meeting went well, saying he is in the region to fulfil Swapo’s internal democracy.
He said he came with a clear message – that there is a need to revitalise the party and the economy, and he is the right leader to do that, and therefore delegates should vote for him.
The first education minister furthermore said that although the meeting went well, the delegates had a mixed reaction towards supporting him, but he said this is to be expected in a democracy.
“That is the message that I brought to the delegates, that the party needs a dynamic leader and that leader is me,” he said, adding: “The reaction is of course democratic, it was positive and not so positive from some, so it was mixed.”
Mumbala however quashed Angula’s version of the meeting and that delegates had mixed feelings on whether to support him or not, saying all delegates frankly looked him in the eye and told him that they remain firmly behind President Hage Geingob for the Swapo presidency as pronounced before.
He said all delegates made it very clear in the meeting that the region supports Geingob without any doubt, adding that this was evident as the delegates were dressed in attire displaying Geingob and his chosen slate.
“That is a lie, it is a total lie, what mixed reaction? There was no mixed reaction. I was chairing that meeting and all delegates were straightforward –let him just be honest, it is not good to say things that were never said,” Mumbala said.
Mumbala further said that just because the region welcomed Angula does not mean they support him, adding that they welcomed him because he is a Swapo member and he had during the meeting asked Angula how he wanted to revitalise a party that is not dead.
“I asked him which structures he wants to revive because the party is functional and that is why we are going to congress. If the party were dead there would be no structures and thus no congress – so I do not know what he wants
to revive,” he stated.
The Swapo Party congress is slated for the end of November this year.