Kuzeeko Tjitemisa

Festus Hamalwa

Dancing and singing supporters and sympathisers of the Independent Patriots for Change gathered at the Goreangab soccer field in Windhoek and at an open space opposite the ABC Centre in Ondangwa to officially launch the party’s campaign for the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections earlier this week.

Addressing supporters at Goreangab, IPC leader Panduleni Itula said the time is over when a party only launches political campaigns on the eve of elections.

 “We will now start to visit each and every town in the country to hear from the people before they can come up with an election manifesto,” he added.

“We are here to send a message to the whole of Namibia that the days when politicians and political parties come to you on election day are gone. We now have a political party in IPC that has the responsibility to come to you well in advance so that we can get from you what you want us to do for you when we advance to the government in 2024.”

Itula ran as an independent presidential candidate for the country’s presidency in the 2019 general election, finishing second to Geingob.

He said once elected into power, his party will make sure Namibia shall no longer be ruled by a “corrupt system of governance”.

“We shall make sure that our people will adhere to our constitutional principles. We shall make sure that those governing this country will be selected on merit, not to say you are a freedom fighter, therefore you must take this position,” he vowed.

He explained that they are starting the election campaign so early to raise awareness on rights so that Namibians would vote in the 2024 elections.

“We are starting the election campaign early to make sure that every Namibian votes, and I can assure you that in 2024, the voters’ turnout will be very high. We want you to understand your rights to vote. We want you to vote for a political party with good policies,” stated Itula. 

Launching the campaign in Ondangwa, IPC communications officer for the northern regions Matheus Edhiya told the crowd that the party will start mobilising the masses to vote for IPC in the upcoming elections.

He said they would not wait for the right time, as the right time is now. They will also be talking to their people, and itemising their needs.

“IPC randomly points out some critical issues which are currently facing the nation, particularly on education, health and youth unemployment,” he observed. 

Edhiya stressed that the party will look at teachers who haven’t received salary increments for years, while family members who could support siblings or offspring have either lost their jobs or are unemployed. Similarly, university graduates cannot find jobs and in most schools, learners do not have chairs to sit on. 

“On youth unemployment, the IPC recognises the skyrocketing unemployment rate of 50%, if not more. This literally means that most Namibian youth and middle-aged citizens are economically castrated, hence economic stagnation,” charged Edhiya.

 He added that what they have also realised about the health sector is that the elderly and the sick are most affected by the unavailability of medication and other medicinal stuff in hospitals and clinics, while senior citizens are often referred to private pharmacies, and yet they can’t afford prices at these pharmacies. 

“The is no concrete reason for celebrating Independence Day while we are living in the absence of all those necessities, and whoever is celebrating is demonstrating insanity,’’ said Abed ‘Bishop’ Hishoono.

 The party members said the IPC has achieved numerous things within this short period of the party being active, such as the consolidation of IPC structures nationwide.

“IPC is working on massive law reforms necessary to build a bedrock of opportunity for socio-economic empowerment and to eliminate corruption in public office. Also, massive political institutional reforms to allow for the unhindered implementation of the rule of law, and massive socio-economic reform to allow for infrastructure development.”

Party members also expressed their disappointment with the way the government has sold elephants recently.