Police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga yesterday issued a stern warning to those taking part in tomorrow’s planned demonstrations to refrain from violence and causing public disorder. 

Ndeitunga yesterday said the police have given permission to a group calling themselves ‘Constitutional Revolution’ to march at Zoo Park and as well as the ruling party, Swapo, to demonstrate at its headquarters in Windhoek and in the Omusati region. 

The march by the ‘Constitutional Revolution’ is against the inauguration of President Hage Geingob for his second term as head of state, which is set for 21 March.

The other demonstration, which is roundly supported by the Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa, is in support of Geingob.  

“Yes we are aware of the demonstrations, we have written to them, we told them that they will only be allowed to demonstrate for a maximum of two hours, they can hand in their petition to whoever they want, it is their democratic right,” he said.  “As long as these demonstrations are peaceful we do not have a problem. We will be out in full force. We will not tolerate violence and those causing disorder, we are ready.” 
The group calling itself ‘Constitutional Revolution’ is planning to hold a ‘permanent’ mass demonstration at Zoo Park on Saturday to demand “President Hage Geingob to step down or constitutional elections be re-run.” 

To counter the ‘Constitutional Revolution’ protest, Shaningwa informed all party leaders to mobilise Swapo party members and supporters and sympathisers to hold a peaceful demonstration countrywide in defence of Geingob. “The peaceful demonstration will therefore commence on March 7, at 09h00 at all 121 Swapo party district offices and 14 regional offices countrywide, until the inauguration of our democratically selected President Hage Geingob’s inauguration on the 21st of March,” Shaningwa said in a widely circulated letter.

A certain Pau Pau of the ‘Constitutional Revolution’ told New Era yesterday that the group will be camping at Zoo Park as of Saturday until the stepping down of Geingob or the constitutional elections are re-run.
“On Saturday we will sleep there, on Sunday we will sleep, on Monday we are going to hand over a petition to the courts then we will go back and sleep at Zoo Park, it will be our home up until our demands are met,” said Pau Pau.

Geingob won the country’s presidential election with 56% of the vote, a drastic drop compared to the 87% obtained in 2014.