KEETMANSHOOP - //Kharas regional governor Lucia Basson says she has no iota of doubt in her mind about the region’s support for the ruling party Swapo ahead of this year’s national elections. 
The emergence of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), headed by former 

//Kharas governor Clinton Swartbooi, could present a trick territory to traverse for the ruling party.
But Basson, who ironically served as a special advisor to Swartbooi when the latter was governor, poured cold water over suggestions that LPM would present a genuine challenge to Swapo’s dominance of the region.
“I am not afraid of any political party facing Swapo in these elections,” she told New Era early this week.
“I see Swapo getting more than 80 percent of the votes in the region.”

She premised her optimism on her belief that Swapo – and particularly its leader Dr Hage Geingob – are well loved in //Kharas.

“The Harambee programs in the region, including the food bank which was recently rolled out here, have helped the masses in the region,” said the governor on Monday.
“The elderly and disabled love President Hage Geingob because of the meaningful things he is doing to their lives – especially in terms of social programs.”

“The regional leadership is ready,” said Basson, who once served as Swapo regional coordinator for Hardap Region.
She cautioned party members in the region to no make fake promises to the electorate, especially during campaigns.
“Let’s work honestly with the people. We have peace and stability – which are prerequisites for development. These are real-life achievements that people can see. Investors can never come here in the absence of peace and stability,” said the former member of parliament.

LPM deputy leader and Basson’s former Swapo comrade Henny Seibeb scoffed at the governor’s projections of dominating //Kharas.
“LPM has cemented itself in seven regions thus far [and] //Kharas Region is perceived as one of the most popular and strong support base for us which is so obvious due to the ancestral land and genocide reparations claims,” he told New Era yesterday.

“We are surely going to outmaneuver Swapo in //Kharas, Hardap, Kunene, Erongo, Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, /Khomas and Zambezi urban and Kavango East urban. Swapo has defeated itself because of its evil policies on urban land, housing crisis, unemployment, poverty and inequality in urban periphery. LPM’s calls for solutions on these matters [speak] to the [aspirations of the] youth, landless working class, peasants and forgotten communities,” Seibeb declared.