2017-05-19Staff Report 2 Kuzeeko Tjitemisa Windhoek-Swapo Party’s regional coordinator for Omaheke, Kejamuina Mungendje, has called upon party members and supporters in Omaheke to rally behind the party’s president, Hage Geingob, ahead of the party congress scheduled for later this year. Mungendje said this during the opening of a one-day Swapo Party educative workshop that took place in Gobabis on Tuesday. The workshop was facilitated by Vincent Likoro, the advisor to Swapo secretary general Nangolo Mbumba. “Being voted by the majority of the Namibians shows that Namibians wanted President Hage Geingob to be the president of this country. Let’s stand firm and support Geingob,” said the outgoing regional Swapo leader. “Let’s stand firm in supporting President Hage Geingob in order to maintain peace and stability,” he added. New Era understands there is division among party members in the region and that only one faction of the party attended the workshop. Those in attendance were, among others, Regional Councillor of Epukiro Constituency Cornelius Kanguatjivi, the former Regional Councillor of Epukiro Constituency Brave Tjizera and former Swapo Women’s Council member Bianca van Wyk, as well as Frans Murangi. However the other faction, believed to consist of Omaheke Regional Governor Festus Ueitele, the chairperson of Omaheke Regional Council, Ignatius Gariseb, Regional Councillor of Okorukambe Constituency Raphael Mokaleng and Phillipus Katamelo, MP, were not present at the workshop. Contacted for comment yesterday, Governor Ueitele said he was not invited to the workshop, nor was he aware of it. “I was never invited to the said workshop – if they have proof of the invitation letter let them show it to you,” he said. Both Katamelo and Gariseb could not be reached for comment, as their phones went unanswered. Meanwhile, New Era has learned that last month an Omaheke Swapo regional executive meeting in Gobabis was adjourned after verbal violence erupted, with some delegates allegedly hurling insults at each other. At the time, Mungendje downplayed the incident, but confirmed a decision had been taken to adjourn the meeting until further notice. “First I want to report this to my seniors before I can discuss the issue with the media,” he told New Era. According to another well-placed source in the region, this situation led to a lingering and bitter dispute between Mungendje and Frederick Ueitele, the party’s National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) Omaheke representative after Van Wyk and Murangi turned up at the said meeting. Van Wyk is the former coordinator who initially won a first election for the top women’s position last year, which she later lost to Justine Bernard after the first election was nullified. Murangi recently also won an election for the party’s Okorukambe Constituency coordinator position, which was also later nullified. Both claim the nullification of their election was illegal and have since taken the party to court. 2017-05-19Staff Report 2
