By Mathias Haufiku
WINDHOEK – Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Angelika Muharukua has accused politicians who cling onto their political careers until their dying days of potentially fuelling discontent in society and preventing others from entering active politics.
Muharukua, 56, during an interview yesterday reminded her political peers that there comes a time in every politician’s life when they must vacate the political arena because an extended stay may fuel discontent within the party and society at large.
“We must remember that all of us cannot make it into parliament, some will be out and some will be in,” said the Swapo politician, who failed to make the party’s list of 77 members in the National Assembly after the recent election.
“When you are in politics you must prepare for your departure because you cannot be there forever. This is one of the reasons why we have so many problems in Africa because leaders do not want to let go,” she said.
There was alleged widespread discontent within the ruling party after its electoral college in August after some party heavyweights who failed to secure favourable positions on the list threatened to challenge the outcome of the college.
Local media at the time reported that the ruling party launched investigations into allegations of improper and dirty campaigning on the eve of its electoral college and that it set up a committee which started the investigations into the allegations.
Having joined the ruling party in 1979, Muharukua was a surprise choice by former president Sam Nujoma for the National Assembly in 1995 and has remained in the National Assembly ever since.
Unless selected by president-elect Hage Geingob to be part of his eight presidential appointees, Muharukua will not be part of the next parliament.
Muharukua is 96th on Swapo’s National Assembly list but the party only obtained 77 seats.
During the just-ended elections Swapo won six of the seven constituencies in the Kunene Region, from where Muharukua hails.
She described her party’s exploits as a “great achievement” considering the region has been dominated by the DTA and the United Democratic Front (UDF) over the years.
“This victory says a lot about the work we are doing for the party in the region and which we will continue to do next near during the local and regional council elections,” she said.
If not selected to be part of the presidential appointee contingent, Muharukua said she would focus her attention on addressing community and women development in Kunene.
“I will be in the region working on government and party matters. Himba women are far behind when compared to other Namibians, this is something I want to address,” she said.
Together with Muharukua, other Swapo top guns who could be missing from the National Assembly come March 21, 2015 include ministers Jerry Ekandjo, Joël Kaapanda, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, David Namwandi, Isak Katali, Albert Kawana, speaker of the National Assembly Theo-Ben Gurirab, and National Council deputy chairperson Maggie Mensah-Williams.