WINDHOEK – The Swapo Party Omaheke Regional Executive Committee on Monday in Gobabis nominated Festus Marenga and Sbabe Katamelo as the region’s candidates for the Swapo electoral college.
The party’s Omaheke regional coordinator, Kejamuina Mungendje, made the announcement yesterday.
Marenga was the Swapo Party Heroes’ branch coordinator in Gobabis for ten years and public relations officer at the Gobabis Municipality, while Katamelo is the party’s secretary for the Heroes’ branch.
The four delegates elected to the electoral college are Gideon Kavari, Okarukambe district (formerly Steinhausen) regional mobilizer; Festus Ueitele, Omaheke Swapo Party regional mobilizer and Omaheke Governor; Petra Witbooi, Aminuis district coordinator and Bianca van Wyk, Swapo Party Women’s Council regional secretary.
The electoral college, also referred to as the “pot” in local parlance, elects a list of candidates to represent the party in the National Assembly after elections, depending on the percentage of votes won at the polls.
Swapo has adopted a 50/50 gender quota policy, which means that the parliamentary list should have 36 men and 36 women.
A prominent contestant who did not make it was Dr Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, the former minister of justice who also previously served as secretary general of Swapo.
Tjiriange is one of the national leaders assigned to Omaheke Region.
The other contestant who did not make it to the electoral college was Nono Tjiueza-Katjingisiua, who is among the three women nominated by the party to contest a seat on the newly proclaimed Otjinene Village Council.
Other national party leaders assigned to the region who attended the meeting included Dr Becky Ndjoze-Ojo, the Minister of Mines and Energy Isak Katali and Epukiro Regional Councillor Ruth Mbura.
“We had a full regional representation of regional executive members and a quorum was obtained,” said Mungendje, adding that everything went smoothly in a “comradely spirit”.
Swapo will chose 72 candidates for its parliamentary list from the candidates nominated to its electoral college.
By Magreth Nunuhe