Candidates in the Swapo succession race are ostensibly struggling to get to the nub of the issue as far as the direction and renewal of the liberation movement is concerned.
With the watershed elective congress, billed for next month, fast approaching, the nine candidates in the vice president, secretary general and deputy secretary general race have been criss-crossing the country and sharing their vision with delegates who will participate in the congress.
Rightly so, most of the attention has been on the three candidates contesting the vice presidency, namely Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and Pohamba Shifeta.
These candidates have been making lofty promises on the campaign trail, including expressing their disdain for corruption, championing service delivery and tackling joblessness.
Uniting Swapo has also been highly emphasised on this campaign. There is no doubt Swapo is beset by serious challenges, which are threatening its survival. In fact, the Swapo-led government is struggling to respond to voter demands for jobs, equality and justice.
This situation is compounded by a very difficult and tough economic situation, not to mention the Fishrot corruption fiasco, which has greatly battered the credibility of the ruling party. As neutral observers, we are missing one thing from these campaigns. The message of hope and how the leading candidates intend to reform and make the ruling party relevant again is clearly not well- articulated. The truth of the matter is that the Swapo voice has fallen silent from the national discourse.
The party no longer sets the agenda, including in parliament, where opposition benches have become a force to be reckoned with. No wonder President Hage Geingob scolded Swapo MPs in 2020.
“You must set the tone and the agenda, and not allow others to do so! Don’t forget that the people and Swapo are watching you, and should you fail to discharge your duties effectively, you may be recalled in the interest of the country and the Swapo Party. That is how this system works.”
Swapo has clearly forsaken its founding principles. For years now, we don’t see many in the leadership standing in solidarity with the downtrodden, and fighting for social justice for the disadvantaged in our society. Just how many of our Swapo leaders are commiserating with the family and loved ones of six-year-old son Adrian Myne Oswyn, whose dismembered body parts were discovered in a sewage pond at the town last week? We can go on and on. Sadly, this has been the missing link.
The party leaders no longer connect with the grassroots, and that is unfortunate.
Those aspiring to lead the party should use the current campaigns and address perceptions of ‘staffriders’ who see the party as a vehicle for selfish material gain and cult worshipping.
How do they also intend to promote a serious battle of ideas, which is centred on bread and butter issues, and fixing the communication challenge within the party, which has led to rising hostility towards the media, in particular?