Edward Mumbuu and Aletta Shikololo
An elementary schoolboy mistake has seemingly thrown the outcome of the Swapo Party central committee elections into disarray after it emerged that a totally wrong list of successful candidates was read out during the closing ceremony of the seventh elective congress on Monday night.
New Swapo elections chief and lawyer Joshua Kaumbi’s credibility is seemingly also on the line. “I voted for myself. We are told there are no spoiled ballots. So how many votes did I get? Even if I got zero, where is my zero? The Prime Minister [Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila] got 270 votes in the VP election.
Are you telling me those 270 didn’t vote for her at CC? Or even Pohamba Shifeta, who failed to get 100 votes in the VP.
Where did the 500 votes for CC come from? This is not even daylight robbery. It is a militarily coup. We will challenge this joke,” a former central committee member said on condition of anonymity.
Kaumbi took over from prominent lawyer Sisa Namandje. President Hage Geingob had officially declared the congress closed shortly after Kaumbi and his team announced the outcome of the central committee election, which had kept tense Swapo delegates waiting with bated breath. But there were murmurs in the hall when the list of successful candidates was read out.
The female list, in particular, was questioned by delegates as it blatantly only reflected in alphabetical order the names of the so-called successful candidates.
The list was headlined by freelance journalist Tuulikki Abraham who was on the ticket of the Swapo Party Elders’ Council, Cornetha Adams of Kunene region and followed by Gisela Amadhila of the Former Plan Combatants’ Association and Oshana-based Naemi Amuthenu. The list would further continue in alphabetical order until the last eligible female candidate at position 35, Sirka Kapanga.
Bigwigs such as Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Cabinet minister Anna Nghipondoka, deputy ministers Verna Sinimbo, Jennelly Matundu, Kornelia Shilunga, Hilma Nikanor and parliamentarians Lucia Witbooi and Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele all appeared to have missed the cut.
Those fortunate enough and whose surnames appear high on the alphabet such as Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku, Minister in the Presidency Christine //Hoabes, deputy Swapo Party Youth League secretary Christine Haindaka and veterans like Ida Hoffman, Petrina Haingura, Katrina Hanse-Himarwa and Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana featured on the 35-member female list.
Tsumeb mayor Mathews Hangula also featured at number 18 on the female list. By the end of the closing ceremony, the CC list was not released, with the elections committee insisting it was not yet signed off and therefore not official.
Early yesterday morning, members of the elections committee admitted to have made a mistake, while announcing that a manual recount would commence “after receiving complaints”.
Supporters of re-elected vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah were among the first to register their discontent in the wee hours of Tuesday. Nandi-Ndaitwah’s right hand man, Kaire Mbuende told New Era they were monitoring the situation with keen interest. New Era understands a petition was already submitted to the secretary general Sophia Shaningwa.
The secretary general, however, dismissed claims about the recounting of the votes of the central committee members. Approached for comment yesterday, Shaningwa was adamant no recount will take place until she is petitioned.
“There is no such a thing as manual recounts,” she said. “As far as I am concerned, my office has not received complaints from party members regarding the results and I also have not received any communication regarding the vote.” In a telephonic interview with this publication, Shaningwa explained that for ballots to be recounted, an official communication has to be made through the office of the secretary general. “Ballots are properties of the party and I should have been informed of that.
If there are such talks, no one should enter the area where the voting materials are without my permission,” she said. Earlier yesterday, congress election spokesperson Audrin Mathe mentioned that a manual recount would be done after some “concerns” were raised by some party members. Approached for a comment, Mathe said the congress elections have come to an end and he is in no position to comment on that. He then referred this reporter to the congress returning officer, Kaumbi, whose phone went unanswered. Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah said prospective central committee members have every reason to feel aggrieved by the alleged anomalies. “Certainly, if something is fishy, and members are questioning the credibility of the CC outcomes then the right thing to do is a recount to restore the credibility of the process,” he said.
“And certainly, not good for the new presiding officer and his team because it taints their images and reputation as competent returning officers. Doubts about the results are not what the party needs now because they are receipts for sowing further divisions.”
Although controversy rocked the female list, the male list has not been largely frowned upon. The male list is headed by works minister John Mutorwa, while veteran Charles Mubita and finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi make their first entrance to the CC. Other new members include former works deputy minister Paulus Kapia, defence minister Frans Kapofi, governors Salomon April and Neville Andre. Kabbe South councillor John Likando, former Kavango region governor Sebastian Karupu, Swapo executive director Austin Samupwa and National Planning Commission director general Obeth Kandjoze have also seemingly made the cut. Youth league leaders Willem Amutenya and Ignatius Khariseb as well as unionist Job Muniaro have also been included this time around. The central committee is composed of more than 85 members. Automatic members include the top four leaders of the ruling party, 14 regional coordinators, secretaries of wings and affiliates as well as permanent members. The just ended congress endorsed the nominations of Calle Schlettwein, Doreen Sioka, Charles Namoloh, Jerry Ekandjo and Albert Kawana as permanent members of the central committee.