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Home / Geingob sets tone on contest for Swapo positions
Geingob sets tone on contest for Swapo positions
2017-08-15Staff Report 2 Albertina Nakale Windhoek-President Hage Geingob urged Swapo leaders at different levels not to allow the contending for positions to divert their focus from the primary aims and objectives of the party. He made the plea when he opened the just-ended Central Committee of the Swapo Party held over the weekend in Windhoek. He reminded the leadership that contestation is part of democracy, which the Swapo Party fought for and achieved, and thus the party shall continue to champion democracy within its structures. Giving the outcome of the meeting, Swapo Party Secretary General Nangolo Mbumba yesterday said the meeting discussed “issues pertaining to preparations for the party congress, which will take place later this year as well as the process and the pace of the renewal of mandates of the Swapo Party wings and regional structures.” Mbumba said the Central Committee “noted with appreciation that the Swapo Party Elders’ Council has concluded its elective congress in preparation for the party congress later this year”. Central Committee was also pleased that progress has been made regarding preparations for the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) congress scheduled for later this month in Katima Mulilo The party urged those in charge of the league to demonstrate leadership during what might become a hotly contested affair in Katima. The Central Committee also received and endorsed the regional conference reports of Erongo, Hardap, Ohangwena, Omusati, Otjozondjupa, Oshana, Oshikoto, //Karas, Kavango East, Khomas, Kunene and Zambezi regions. The newly elected and re-elected Swapo Party regional coordinators from the above-mentioned regions were sworn in as members of the Central Committee of the party. The Central Committee noted and condemned the irresponsible and destructive use of social media platforms to tarnish the names of especially the leadership of the party and the country. “The Central Committee also noted with concern the growing tendency of tribal expressions and utterances. In this regard, the Central Committee condemned such practices and called upon the rank and file leadership and membership of the party to desist from this practice forthwith,” Mbumba said. Mbumba said the President informed the meeting that Moody’s Investment Services had just downgraded Namibia’s long-term senior unsecured bond and issuer ratings to Ba1 from Baa3 and maintained the negative outlook. He expressed dismay over the rationale used by Moody’s Investment Services in downgrading Namibia, including the upcoming Swapo Party congress and the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections as these do not have any correlation whatsoever to the country’s liquidity position. Geingob stated that fiscal improvements regarding liquidity position have been totally ignored. Geingob further invited Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein to brief the Central Committee on the Moody’s downgrading of Namibia. Mbumba said Schlettwein informed the Central Committee that Moody’s Investor Services has downgraded Namibia to a “junk status”. Schlettwein stated categorically that the country does not agree with this assessment. Equally, he noted that a substantive rating change should have been preceded by an in-depth assessment and engagement of the Namibian authority. He further stated that the recent ratings were merely based on email exchanges on a single item of outstanding invoices. Mbumba reported the President further urged the Namibian people in general and Swapo Party members to choose the right words in exercising their democratic right of freedom of expression. Moreover, Mbumba noted Geingob condemned the incidences of tribalism that have been witnessed recently. He stated that Namibians have the right to criticise and to disagree but these should be done in a civilised manner. The President congratulated those candidates who were elected during the regional conferences and commended those who accepted defeat graciously. Geingob urged Namibians to be considerate of others and condemned the greedy ones who do not wish to share with others. He asserted the resolve of the government to introduce the New Equitable Economic Empowerment Framework (NEEEF). 2017-08-15Staff Report 2
