WINDHOEK – “Bye, bye, Hidipo Hamutenya, we will miss you, and shake your hand, bye, bye, Hamutenya,” sang supporters of Rally for Democracy and Progress secretary for international affairs Kandy Nehova at a packed Windhoek hotel on Saturday.
The group had gathered to witness Nehova launch his official campaign contesting the party’s presidency that will rigorously test Hamutenya’s popularity as the RDP leader come November.
New Era understands the party is divided into three factions – one supporting Nehova, one supporting Hamutenya and the other supporting Jeremiah Nambinga, who still has to openly declare himself for the party’s hot seat.
Nehova told his supporters that he was ready to “revilise the RDP into a force to be reckoned with”.
“As the party of the people, RDP can only meet the needs and aspirations of the nation if it is properly structured and organized in a way that ensures appropriate management of all financial, material and human resources at its disposal,” said Nehova.
Nehova said if he became RDP president he would particularly foster unifying party members and comradeship within the party, upholding inner-party democracy and the rule of law, advocating and promoting team work, equal treatment and recognition of party cadres, while creating a common understanding of party matters and the political environment.
Nehova said if the party wants to realize its political objectives, then members have to formulate a realistic national plan of action encompassing mobilising the masses and recruitment of new members into the party’s rank and file and structures.
“A well organised political party is a party that is in a position to participate in and win elections at any time and at all levels,” stressed the ageing politician.
Nehova said he would ensure that the party is in a position to manage an entire election process, starting with an electoral law reform programme, registration of voters, voter education, mobilisation of voters to go out and vote, effective deployment of representatives during voting, and counting and verification of votes.
“For the realization of these noble tasks, we shall always count on the energy and dynamism of our youth,” he said.
Asked whether he was not too old to lead an opposition party, Nehova said his mission is to prepare a platform for the youth to eventually take over.
Meanwhile, New Era understands the party is in financial dire straits partly because of its marathon court case disputing the results of the last elections. Concerning the party’s money problems an RDP official said: “Don’t talk about money in the party, we are the main opposition but as you can see we don’t have a car, we don’t have an office, we are only renting … look we don’t even have computers or even pens, even APP (All People’s Party) has five cars but we have nothing.”
By Kuzeeko Tjitemisa