Former Windhoek mayor Fransina Kahungu, who is standing as a candidate for the Swapo Party Women’s Council secretary position, said her political exposure and professional experience put her in good stead to be considered for the role.
Kahungu has been serving as deputy secretary to Eunice Iipinge for the past five years, and is now challenging Katrina Liswani for the secretary position at this week’s much-anticipated elective congress.
“The position of secretary of the SPWC needs a candidate who is not only schooled in the Swapo party ideology and political programmes, but someone who is energetic, contemporary and possesses the intellectual vibrancy necessary and relevant to the sustainability and ongoing advancement of the council,” said Kahungu, who is now serving as an ordinary councillor in the City of Windhoek council.
“The combination of my educational background, professional experience, political exposure and involvements as alluded to earlier justify why my candidacy for the position of secretary for the SPWC must be supported by all members of the council, as well as all bona fide rank and file of the Swapo party.”
Kahungu, who first worked as a domestic worker and matriculated through the Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol), holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Namibia and is awaiting her final result of her Master’s degree through Unam. The 51-year-old mother of four sons said she will facilitate the inclusion of businesswomen from rural areas in trade missions and visits, including extending an invitation to them to attend investment promotion platforms and events.
“If I am to be elected, I will be encouraging all women from the age of 18 upwards to join the SPWC; demand for economic opportunities and access to financial facilities by SPWC members and women in general; advocate for equal opportunities for and amongst the SPWC members; and work towards the creation of platforms for emancipatory participation and expression of SPWC members and women in general.”
She said she would demand the rightful place of women at the table of leadership and in the boardroom of governance; strengthen SPWC businesses; and promote sound financial management across the rank and file of SPWC.
Kahungu said she will facilitate access to education for SPWC members and the Namibian girl and boy child too; reforming the SPWC towards vibrancy and modernity; as well as shunning factional and divisive politics and the politics of character assassination.
The qualified teacher said she was introduced to Swapo ideology at an early age because of the occasional yet continuous presence of the PLAN fighters in and around Okapanda village of Omusati during the years of the liberation struggle as her parents had the honour of serving these gallant sons’ meals. She thus called for the documenting of the existence of SPWC and its activities since 1970 to date, as well as strategies to effectively and efficiently monitor and implement congress resolutions.