A clearer picture will emerge in the coming days insofar as the much-anticipated Swapo elective congress and the leadership battle is concerned.

Indeed, the silly season is upon us and by next week, we will know exactly who is in the race for the top four positions ahead of the November congress.

The names of Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and her deputy and international relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah have been dominating headlines over the months as the leading candidates for the vice presidency of the ruling party. Some party faithful fear there would be a crowded field of candidates gunning for the top positions. So, there is so much at stake at this congress, and the build-up is gaining momentum with each day coming. 

The renewal of mandates at regional level has already given us a glimpse of what to expect, as the intense jostling for positions and a spot to the congress ticket was the order of the day. 

Despite infighting here and there, the ruling party has still managed to effectively conclude its internal election process in the regions bar from the Erongo region, which will take place soonest. As the Dutch proverb reads, ‘tall trees catch much wind’, the ruling Swapo has been under sustained attack from keyboard warriors on social media, the Fourth Estate, as well as the opposition over the years.

Angry Namibians have vented their frustration at the leadership, criticising the ruling party for not doing enough to address economic challenges in the country, including rampant youth unemployment.

Card-carrying members of the party have also not shied away from highlighting shortcomings and other pertinent problems befalling the liberation movement. 

As it stands, the party is at a crossroads, suffering from internal strife, factionalism and power politics. The battle of ideas continues to lack, or at least it is not something that is taken seriously within the party. Young people are left at the periphery as the reins of power are still in the hands of cadres who are long in the tooth, even though there has been a rush of young blood in national politics.

 It seems, at this point, young people in Swapo are only there to fight the factional battles of the elders. The ageing generation surely had their time and even during their reign, the organisation remained riven with factionalism, while consolidating power to control public resources. 

The liberation tag is a spent force. The vast majority of Namibians want to know if hospitals are equipped. They are interested in knowing if job opportunities would exist in the coming months. They want the party’s direction on issues of national concern, including skyrocketing inflation, and unsustainable fuel and food costs. As the ruling party prepares for its elective congress, its leadership must go the extra length to demonstrate that it remains true to the pursuit of its cardinal ideals for social justice and liberty. The onus is on the party to address the generational gap within the movement, while ensuring that leaders standing for top positions have what it takes to take this country forward. It should no longer be business as usual.