ONGWEDIVA – Swapo vice presidential hopeful Pohamba Shifeta has said “teams” or “camps” created during the internal campaigns are causing division within the party.

The division during campaigns is seen as delegates to the congress seem to strictly follow their preferred candidates, leaving others to scramble for support.

Although the candidates were supposed to submit their manifestos to all congress delegates in the regions, some delegates leave the venue after the candidate they are supporting had presented their views.

“Division already caused us in the past. We have lost elections in some constituencies and local authorities because of division, but there are still some comrades doing that,” said Shifeta.

He made these remarks in Ongwediva on Wednesday while engaging delegates to the upcoming congress. 

He said the teams have brought discrimination among candidates.

“If we unite, we will be standing, and division will cause us to fall,” he observed.

Shifeta added that working together will strengthen the sections, branches and regional district structures of the party, especially the leadership.

“Divergent views should not be our cause of division. When one comrade has a divergent view, accept it, and don’t regard that comrade as an enemy,” he urged.

 He noted that some comrades think when they have issues, not talking to each other, they would want to include delegates in their problems, “which is not fair”.

“Your problem with another comrade should not be my problem. You have seen that in the division of teams that were there. I balanced, I spoke to everyone,” he said.

Similar sentiments were shared by his fellow candidate, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, during the campaign event in the Ohangwena region.

“There should not be those things of making one another look like orphans when we visit their regions,” she stated.

 “We are not fighting. We are competing. We are members of the same party. It is important to make sure that when we attend these campaigns, we must not attack one another or make one another unhappy because after the congress, we will not be able to unite again.”

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila further reasoned that if the party members continue to be divided, they will be at the risk of losing the status of ruling party. 

New Era has also observed that some candidates have mobilised non-delegates and party sympathisers from regions to rally against them during the campaigns.

Corruption

During his presentation, Shifeta likewise called for action against corruption. 

“We all acknowledge that corruption and unethical conduct do harm to the party and the country. Therefore, we must act against it; all of us, without fear,” he said.

He added that as vice president-to-be, he will establish a mechanism that will root out corruption in the system, as well as tackle tribalism, regionalism and racism.

His vision is thus to strengthen Swapo, and mark it as a true modern party that is responsive to new political, social and economic challenges, centred on bread-and-butter issues. -vkaapanda@nepc.com.na