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Home / Geingob lashes ‘wavering’ Swapo members

Geingob lashes ‘wavering’ Swapo members

2021-10-04  Paheja Siririka

Geingob lashes ‘wavering’ Swapo members

President Hage Geingob said he has noticed wavering Swapo members who are afraid to be identified as members of the party and are not wearing the party’s colours.

He said this at the Swapo Central Committee meeting held at the weekend to discuss the state and future of the party and amending resolutions, decisions and recommendations from the Political Bureau.

He wasn’t impressed with an attempt by the gathering at delivering a praise song for him. 

“Sing or don’t sing” he barked. “This is not Swapo,” he said at one point. In a video that has gone viral, Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa said “you are dead”, and echoed Geingob’s notion that they should rather sit and not sing.

“Some thought Swapo is apparently finished, and they say ‘don’t stay with Swapo’. We are being accused that we were given votes by the electoral commission, then you say such a shameful thing,” said Geingob.

He referred to comments made by former Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) chairperson Notemba Tjipueja over the disputed Ndonga Linena election, which was declared null and void and a recount ordered. Tjipueja said the electoral body wrongly declared Swapo candidate Kampota Shiwana as duly elected. The All People’s Party (APP) succeeded in securing a court order that compelled the ECN to conduct a recount, which Swapo won again.

He added that the party doesn’t complain about the electoral commission, or polls, and they are being taken for granted.

Geingob also railed against National Assembly members of the party, saying, “we are being humiliated. “We have 30 more members there. Swapo does not want to look like they are disrupting the procedures of parliament. 

“We are made to feel guilty as Swapo members; we are being taken for granted and humiliated. These things of being underdogs when you are not must stop. How can DTA people call us puppets and sellouts?” asked Geingob. The lack of enthusiasm from members at the congress elicited remarks from the president like whether people are dead, and asking why there weren’t any slogans being chanted. 

“Even when you are walking, it looks like you are finished. I travelled all the way [from the USA], and I look more fresh than you,” he observed. Geingob reminded the Central Committee members of the party’s constitution and oath that states members will “promote the aims, objectives and values of the party”, and execute their duties with honesty, loyalty and dedication. State House yesterday released a statement, saying Geingob at no point said to members of the Central Committee “to go to hell”, and that the President was responding to another issue that was raised with him on the side, and the response was about that.

He further emphasised the need for party members, including members of parliament, to engage on issues in the National Assembly and society with vigour and determination as opposed to the ‘do as you choose’ approach, which gives ascendancy to the opposition.

At the meeting, Zambezi governor Lawrence Sampofu and former Kavango East governor Samuel Mbambo were sworn in as Central Committee members. -  psiririka@nepc.com.na


2021-10-04  Paheja Siririka

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