Swapo President Hage Geingob has called on the party’s elected councillors to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to deliver goods and services to the people, to inspire confidence to secure the necessary votes for the party.

Geingob made the call during the opening of the governing party’s Central Committee (CC) meeting held in Windhoek on Saturday. The first quarter of the year CC meeting deliberated on the state and future of the party, in addition to adopting and amending resolutions, decisions
and recommendations from the political bureau and or its wings.

Officiating the event, Geingob expressed his sincere appreciation to all the Swapo rank and file who ensured that the party emerged victorious from the regional council and local authority elections of 2020, as was the case in the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections. “You will recall that following the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections, Swapo undertook an introspective meeting, which was attended by the senior leadership, regional leadership, respective wings and a large majority of the Swapo rank and file,” Geingob said. 

He said he is aware that in the aftermath of the regional council and local authority elections of 2020, some have claimed that Swapo lost and most disturbing, some of the party’s very own members have fallen prey to this defeatist frame of mind.

“Let me make it categorically clear – Swapo did not lose the elections. Yes, we suffered setbacks in some towns but overall Swapo achieved victory, albeit with a reduced majority,” Geingob said. “It is important to note that the local authority and regional council elections deal with bread and butter issues,” he said, urging elected councillors to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to deliver goods and services to the people, thereby inspiring confidence to secure the necessary votes for the party to emerge victorious. 

Meanwhile, on the same occasion, Rehoboth East constituency councillor, Edward Wambo was sworn in as a new member of the CC, replacing the late former parliamentarian and executive chairperson of the National Youth Council, Mandela Kapere, who died in December.