WINDHOEK – The Swapo Party Elders Council (SPEC) says the 50-50-gender balance will not dictate the nominations process for positions at the coming congress in Swakopmund next weekend, when the council will elect a new secretary to replace the late Frederick Matongo who died last year.

This was said by the SPEC acting secretary Nestor Mukwaita Shanyengana, who will also be competing for the position. Shanyengana, who is President Hifikepunye Pohamba’s special advisor on the media, is the current deputy secretary of the SPEC.

“It [gender representation among nominees] will be determined by the nominations. We have to come up with candidates and see how people will nominate. The mother body is still busy with the formula so we do not want to jump the gun,” said Shanyengana.

The election of a secretary for the council is the only item on next week Friday’s SPEC Extraordinary Congress agenda. “But of course, if I happen to win then it means the position of deputy secretary will be vacant, and then we will have to fill that position as well,” said Shanyengana.

Shanyengana said the council was still waiting for some of the regions to forward their preferred nominees. “We will allow the election to dictate until such a time that we get instructions from the mother body. If most of the nominees are women and one of them happens to win, then so be it,” he said.

The 26-member SPEC Central Committee comprises of 12 women and 14 men.

The late Matongo took over the secretary position from Kanana Hishoono, who held the position since 1992. Swapo stalwart Simon Mzee Kaukungwa is the founding secretary of the SPEC.

At its Central Committee meeting held in Windhoek last weekend, the ruling party directed its Politburo to finalize the best possible methodology to reach the zebra style balance on the party list before the electoral college is held later this year.

By Mathias Haufiku