2015-03-03Staff Report 2 KEETMANSHOOP - The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) in the // Kharas Region has distanced itself from a statement made by Bernard Shimanya regarding affirmative repositioning. In a statement issued last Friday, SPYL district secretary of Keetmans- hoop Rural, Gert Titus, said the statement fed to the media by Shimanya on behalf of //Kharas SPYL is fabricated, unauthorised and deceitful and the views expressed by Shimanya are his own and do not reflect those of the SPYL. He expressed his disappointment at the comments made about Matheus Mumbala, the Swapo regional co-ordinator in the //Kharas Region, saying the comments were disrespectful, undermining and uncalled for. “The statement by Shimanya is intended to instigate and deceive the youth of the region, especially the Swapo Party members,” stated Titus. He commended Mumbala as a loyal and worthy servant in the party structures, who deserves the utmost respect and gratitude as a leader and a person, adding that he was elected because he was a tested cadre and was found worthy to be their leader of choice. Titus added Shimanya’s disrespectful and deceitful tactics should not be seen as those of the //Kharas youth or SPYL, as he violated the procedures and undermined the regional executive and, therefore, should be disciplined accordingly. “He bluntly lied to the nation under false pretence and used the name of SPYL to push his own personal agenda,” thundered Titus. He further called on Shimanya to publicly admit that he fabricated the statement, as that of the regional executive and instructed him to apologise. Shimanya, however, does not see any wrong-doing, saying he made his statement as chairperson of the SPYL national leaders assigned to the // Kharas Region, adding that neither the statement by Mumbala nor Titus was embraced by the entire executive committee. He noted that Titus was just a desperate secretary and does not have authority to call a media briefing without approval from the regional executive. Shimanya stated that people have started making statements without any consultations and thus he had the right to make his too, “we can attack each other in the media if that’s what they want”. A defiant Shimanya refused to apologise for his comments, saying as far as land is concerned no one owes anyone an apology. “There is no apology on the land issue,” stressed a defiant Shimanya. Last week Shimanya issued a statement that contradicted Mumbala’s call for Swapo members to refrain from activities of the Affirmative Repositioning Movement led by Job Amupanda. Shimanya’s statement urged all Namibian landless to go and apply for land without fear, adding that Mumbala’s personal views are baseless, empty and should be dismissed as such. He also attacked Mumbala personally saying that Mumbala was elected as co-ordinator because he was the only unemployed candidate at the regional conference and no well-paid employed delegate would stand for such a low-paying position. 2015-03-03Staff Report 2
