WINDHOEK – Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) Deputy Secretary, Veikko Nekundi has called for the immediate suspension of the league’s former spokesperson Job Amupanda, whom he said has brought Swapo’s name into disrepute by claiming a piece of land in Klein Kuppe.
In a letter authored on Tuesday this week, Nekundi said Amupanda should also face a disciplinary action as a result of his activism for land – highlighted by his demarcation of a plot of land in the leafy Windhoek suburb.
Calling him ‘irresponsible’, Nekundi said Amupanda should have sought recourse within Swapo structures in his quest for justice over land.
Amupanda has stated on numerous occasions that his demand for fair access to land was being executed in his private capacity, and should not be linked to his positions within the SPYL.
Nekundi’s letter was addressed to SPYL secretary, Dr Elijah Ngurare, and copied to President Hifikepunye Pohamba, Prime Minister, Dr Hage Geingob, Swapo Secretary-General, Nangolo Mbumba and Deputy Secretary-General, Laura McLeod-Katjirua.
Nekundi’s wrath was also directed at SPYL Secretary for the Tobias Hainyeko District, Dimbulukeni Nauyoma and another SPYL branch leader, George Kambala – who also joined Amupanda on Sunday last week in demarcating land in Klein Kuppe.
“The irresponsible action taken by Comrade Job Amupanda, Comrade Dimbulukeni Nauyoma and Comrade George Kambala, has the potential to destabilise the countryand to plunge it into chaos,” Nekundi wrote.
“Such chaos will not be in the interest of the party nor in the interest of the poor whose cause we seek to champion…”
Amupanda yesterday dropped a bombshell when he tendered his resignation from the Swapo National Executive Committee of the youth league and, effectively, from his position as secretary of information and publicity.
This follows a meeting he held with Mbumba and Ngurare on Tuesday night, according to those in the know.
Amupanda stated in his resignation letter that he could not be cowed into silence even on matters of greater justice to society, after numerous attempts by Swapo to force him into aborting his land activism. Amupanda and others demarcated land in Klein Kuppe in reaction to allegations that the City of Windhoek has been dishing out prime land to politically-connected individuals, and at heavy discounts.
The City this week twice postponed a press conference meant to deal with – amongst others – allegations that its mayor, Agnes Kafula, has been at the centre of several land controversies, including allowing the City to sell land to her son at a heavy discount.
Yesterday several people – the youth in particular – hailed Amupanda’s decision to resign instead of shelving his plans for political office.
In his letter this week, Nekundi also lambasted the SPYL leadership for several positions it has taken on matters, including recent amendments to the country’s constitution.
“This blatant and public disregard with the party line is only creating chaos and entrenching factional divide within the party,” Nekundi said, adding that the constitutional amendments were discussed by the Swapo politburo and central committee.
“It is to this extent that I submit for the immediate suspension of Comrade Amupanda, Comrade Nauyoma and Comrade Kambala from the SPYL, pending the SPYL Central Committee meeting,” the SPYL second-in-command wrote.
By Staff Reporter