After losing its two-thirds majority in the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections, Swapo Party vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says they have reflected on and rectified the past mistakes.
Nandi-Ndaitwah is the Swapo candidate for the 2024 presidential election, although internal squabbles surround her candidacy.
Swapo wants to win back the support of its followers in the upcoming elections, she said whilst addressing the party’s supporters at a rally in Windhoek over the weekend.
“The mistakes we have made to let our majority in the centre of our country slip out of our hands; we should not allow that to go unchallenged,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She said the only way to rectify the mistakes is to rededicate themselves as leaders and make reflections on what exactly went wrong.
“As leaders, we must forget about ourselves. We must forget our individual ambitions, and put the people of Namibia ahead in everything we are doing,” she urged.
After having listened to people’s inputs on where to improve, Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that it has been put into consideration, and now they are ready to do things right in 2024.
The party leader went on to address matters surrounding the previous congress, and said some leaders, especially in the Khomas region, are still in denial of her victory.
She described this indifference as “unconstitutional” and undermining the party.
“I am happy that us three who were contesting for the position of the vice president, we are working together, and we know how the party functions,” she said before thanking her former contender, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, for continuously attending party engagements. Pohamba Shifeta was the other candidate.
“If our leaders are high up there to safeguard our party and the constitution, who are you to continue creating instability within the party?” she questioned without naming anybody.
Youth empowerment
Delving deeper into the resolutions of the past congress, Nandi-Ndaitwah said they have passed a resolution on youth empowerment.
“Young people are the biggest assets this country and this party have. That is why we must invest in our youth, socially and economically. This is through investing in the social sector, education, health and others, and economically to make sure our people have access to resources,” she noted.
The politician said people are the most important renewable asset, which is second to none for the nation. Therefore, she is proud of the fact that as a nation, they possess a high youth demographic that is a competitive advantage for a nation with such a small population.
“I understand the pain that you carry in your hearts each day due to unemployment and other social challenges. I know the yearning you have to proudly call Namibia your home, knowing it is a place of empowerment, where you can thrive,” she said.
Furthermore, building on what Namibia has achieved thus far, citizens should think outside the box to be able to develop ideas and innovative ways how to further grow the economy.
Building a nation requires all hands on deck, Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
“One of the untapped industries that holds high potential is the creative arts industry. It is well-known that the creative arts sector is a game-changer and a catalyst for sustainable growth, primarily because it is taken up by the youth,” she added.
Nandi-Ndaitwah further said it is high time that the government invests in arts, and encourages young people to take up the challenge of getting into this field.
Equally, sports also have the power to develop and unite the nation.
No vacancy
During the same rally, the party’s secretary general Sophia Shaningwa reiterated their ultimate decision to let Nandi-Ndaitwah run for the presidency.
This comes after public notions that the party should consider an extra-ordinary congress to elect a candidate for the upcoming elections. Swapo party stalwart Jerry ‘Maudjuu’ Ekandjo maintains that last year’s congress did not elect a presidential candidate, throwing the nomination of Nandi-Ndaitwah into doubt.
“I want to make it categorically clear that the extra-ordinary congress can only be done if an unnatural condition happens. For example, if the president of the country, vice president, secretary general or the deputy resign, there can be an extra-ordinary congress,” she clarified.
The politician said the incumbent President Hage Geingob is not ready to damage his image as the leader of the party and country.
“The president is not going to resign, and he has thus written to my office that there would be no extraordinary congress. Mathematically, that means there shall be no vacancy. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is our sole candidate for the party, come 2024,” she assured.
The only time Swapo held an extraordinary congress was in 2004 when Founding President Sam Nujoma backed former President Hifikepunye Pohamba – then Swapo vice president – as his preferred candidate.
Nujoma’s blessing, however, did not deter party veterans such as the late Hidipo Hamutenya and Nahas Angula from challenging Pohamba.
A re-run was required between Hamutenya and Pohamba to determine the eventual victor.
Pohamba eventually won the battle for the party vice presidency, while he was also confirmed as the Swapo candidate for the general elections in 2004.
That congress, however, left the ruling party with bruises.
As the party warms up for the next election, Shaningwa also urged those with no identity documents to go and get such and to register themselves to be able to vote for the party.
The Windhoek campaign is part of a series that the party has embarked on to mobilise the masses to vote.
Yesterday, the party held another campaign in Gobabis.
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