Senior Journalist Albertina Nakale (AN) this week caught up with the secretary of the Swapo Party Women’s Council Fransina Kahungu to discuss various issues affecting women and the much-talked-about female presidential candidates.
AN:Since you took office as Swapo Women’s Council (SPWC) secretary, you have undertaken regional tours? What were some of your findings and recommendations?
FK: We started in the Erongo region. I observed a need to strengthen the relationship between our voters and leadership. There is a need for us to assist vulnerable children. There is also a great need for government to fast-track housing. We moved to Nkurenkuru, where we realised women are at the forefront of economic activities, such as selling vegetables and firewood. We found an opportunity to ask traditional authorities for land so women can improve in urban agriculture. In Karasburg, we realised men need to improve how they are doing their economic activities. The Bondelswart community have women in leadership. In Omusati, we were disturbed by teenage pregnancies at maternal waiting homes. Girls between the ages of 13 and 17 are pregnant. The education for these girls is hampered. Back in Khomas, I am disturbed because women are losing their babies due to the lack of maternal homes. We need to educate our young women on early pregnancy prevention.
AN: How do you view the overall state of women in Namibia, and how will your leadership help improve the state of women in terms of health, education, top leadership positions, as well as financial and job opportunities?
FK: One must appreciate the hard work of Namibian women. Women are the backbone of each household. When it comes to leadership, women are doing a lot, but they are always underrated. When you go outside, you will see women selling on the streets to provide for their families more than some men. God will be angry if I say women do not occupy the political space. If you look, where am I? As a secretary of the SPWC, I am here sharing an office just like men. The Swapo party constitution is very clear that in every leadership position, there must be gender equality opportunities. If positions are there, they should be available to both women and men. The question is, are women using the opportunity given by the constitution? Some women are not using the opportunity when it comes to the constitution. As we speak, we have only three regional coordinators who retained or came in for Kavango East, Omaheke and Hardap. We lost Otjozondjupa, where we had the fourth lady. You do not blame anyone because delegates were there on a 50/50 basis. It is democracy. I always caution not to give women positions because they are women. It will defeat the purpose of gender representation opportunities. It is our responsibility as SPWC to identify women with potential and groom leaders so we do not lack people to assist at any level.
AN: The youth especially are talking about abortion rights and quality healthcare for sexual minorities. What is the position of the SPWC on these issues?
FK: SPWC at any structure has never discussed homosexuality since I took over. It will then be very difficult to comment on homosexuality and abortion on behalf of the SPWC. I appreciate you for asking that question, so we will discuss it at our next meeting.
AN: City of Windhoek is currently in shambles both in terms of leadership and financial management. What have you and other Swapo councillors done to bring order and improve service delivery to the residents?
FK: As representatives of Swapo party, we tabled motions, aimed to uplift and provide services to the people. All three Swapo councillors out of the five are chairing very important committees. I am chairing a committee on the provision of basic services; councillor Sam Shafishuna Nujoma is chairing a committee on financial sustainability; councillor Austin Kwenani is dealing with a committee on the economy. We are doing very well when it comes to electricity and housing provision. When you are dealing with local authority issues, there are laws and guiding tools. Here, you need to forget about your interest and put the residents’ interest first. If you put your energy to fight wars, I can be specific for a chief executive officer, you will be used and concentrate on issues directly benefiting individuals. This is where we lost it in the system. Instead of councillors coming together and putting pressure on the minister to give us money so we provide services here; rather, we scatter our energy to fight wars of the chief executive officer. And people will say councillors only three years and they will go without delivery services.
AN: There have been talks about electing a young, energetic leader for the Swapo party at its upcoming congress; some even contend the party ought to nominate a woman as its leader. What is your take on this?
FK: As we speak, Swapo party never called for a congress. As a result, Swapo never discussed candidates for various positions – be it for president vice-president, secretary general or deputy secretary general. However, I must appreciate people having an interest in those positions because we always say Swapo is the people and the people are Swapo. The time will come when discussions will start and the constitution is very clear, as it is free for all genders to take part.
AN: Do you have any ambitions to stand for any top positions at the upcoming congress?
FK: No, God will be very angry with me. It was only end of February I was elected as secretary of the SPWC. Now I must jump to go and do what? No, I do not have any.
AN: SPWC is known as a strong advocate for zebra style; however, it is being blamed and questioned by some for being silent and not coming out openly in support of a fellow female presidential candidate. What is your view on this?
FK: If people are saying the SPWC is silent, then these people lack understanding of how things work. There is time for everything. If people start eating unripe fruits, it can cause a problem. That is why SPWC is quiet because there are no candidates, and the time is not yet right. Swapo has time for nominations, accepting these nominations and campaigns – then you will hear from the SPWC.
AN: Do you think it is time for the country to be led by a female president? And there have been talks about women in politics not supporting each other into top positions of power? What is your take on this?
FK: The Swapo constitution is very clear on the requirements that are met by a lot of women. We have women who are Namibian citizens. We have women who have consistently been a member of the central committee for a minimum of 10 years and continuous members of the party for 20 years. When it comes to nominations by politburo and nominated by the central committee, the Swapo Party Women Council has no power because it is up to a vetting process to find out women who served 10 years if there was at any point they formed a political party or not after the formation of Swapo.
AN: The Swakopmund constituency, which has been governed by your party since independence, was lost to IPC on Friday for the second time. What may be blamed for this?
FK: It was not lost to IPC for the second time – no. The local authority elections only took place only in 2020. What happened in Swakopmund was a by-election, caused by a vacancy that occurred in 2022. I must applaud the Swapo members who took part in the election. However, as a politician, I must encourage all of us to provide services to residents. It is not correct that on the day of the election, we are reading a mother and her child lost their lives in a fire.
AN: What is the Swapo you dream off?
FK: When you have a big house, that house is always full of people doing other things. When you have clay pots in one room, they will sometimes clash. Swapo has a lot of people with various backgrounds. There is no change in Swapo; it is the people changing. The political climate is also changing. It is up to the leadership of the party to see how to handle these changes to sustain the party in line with its objectives and aims.
AN: What is your message to your comrades ahead of the Swapo seventh elective congress?
Dear comrades, Swapo is going to have its congress. We are expected to set up party policies and review party performance, progress and development. We should have resolutions already at the congress.