WINDHOEK- The Namibia Economic Freedom Fighter (NEFF) has made a startling claim that some high profile members of the ruling party, Swapo, are amongst its primary funders.
Not mentioning names NEFF Commissar of Communication, Oslen Kahiriri said Namibians will be shocked to learn who the financial backers of his new party are.
“People will be shocked when we start to reveal who is funding us and don’t take your eyes away from the ruling party,” he said.
Kahiriri says there are many high profile Swapo members who sympathise with NEFF.
“We don’t expect them to join us now because that will mean taking away food from their table, but as long as they continue to fund us we will be happy,” he said.
Swapo Secretary General, Nangolo Mbumba, refused to comment on NEFF claims.
Kahiriri said the party, a carbon copy of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), will launch its manifesto in October at Oshakati.
“Right now, as we are speaking, our president and his deputy are out of the country to invite delegates from across the world to attend the launch,” he said.
“This will be a big event, we are inviting the BBC, Aljazeera and other international media houses to cover the launch,” he added.
In the same vein, Kahiriri said the party is to hold an engagement meeting with the general public on Thursday at the UN Plaza in Katutura.
“There are many people out there who are of the opinion that the NEFF aims to bring unrest to the country, but we want these people to come in numbers to meet us face to face, to ask us questions so that they can understand us better.”
“We are inviting all our critics including Prime Minister, Hage Geingob to join us at the UN plaza on Thursday,” he added.
The NEFF also used the opportunity to clarify the position of NEFF involvement in Namibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) affairs.
“We are making it categorically clear that NEFF, as a political movement has no influence or control over independent trade unions, such as in the case of NTTU, where it is highly speculated that we have direct control over its policies and directives,” he said.
Last week the NTTU President, Werner January, who is also NEFF’s Commissar of Transport and Social Development, announced that the union is to hold a national taxi strike on 20 October.
“Let it be known that NTTU as an independent trade union has the prerogative to implement the directives and policies of the union to the best interest and wellbeing of their members, without fear or favour and undue pressure,” said Kahiriri.
The NEFF head office is situated at the corner of the Independence Avenue and Grimm Strasse in the Tre’ Building opposite the Zimbabwean Embassy.