2015-07-22Staff Report 2 Windhoek Division in the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) hit a new low yesterday after all members of the national executive committee (NEC) – with the exception of the expelled Job Amupanda, Dr Elijah Ngurare and Veikko Nekundi – confirmed they will snub a central committee meeting slated for Saturday. Nekundi, the league’s deputy secretary, announced on Monday that a central committee meeting would be held this weekend at the Swapo headquarters in Windhoek. Nine remaining members of the 11-person NEC said the intended meeting was not sanctioned by the NEC as is procedure, and they would therefore not be in attendance. Nekundi, who is adamant that he is the legitimate acting secretary of SPYL following the booting of Ngurare last weekend, said the meeting would go ahead if the quorum requirements were met. Following Ngurare’s surprise expulsion, the NEC endorsed Eddy Kafita as acting secretary of SPYL – but Nekundi said the league’s constitution mandates the deputy secretary to take over automatically as acting secretary in the absence of the de facto secretary. After his ‘appointment’ as SPYL acting secretary, Kafita immediately got the ball rolling by suspending Nekundi last weekend over his alleged behaviour at an extraordinary NEC meeting held in Kavango West last weekend. Nekundi argued that his purported suspension is illegal and therefore invalid. He announced the planned CC meeting this weekend in his supposed new capacity as acting secretary of the league. “We will meet and if we meet the quorum the meeting goes on. If we do not the meeting will not go on,” Nekundi told New Era yesterday. NEC members during separate interviews with New Era yesterday said they would not attend Saturday’s meeting. Secretary for labour and justice Paulus Mbangu said: “Why should I attend it … that meeting is not a CC, it must be given another name. Maybe you must call it a picnic gathering.” Secretary for international affairs Eddy Kafita, when asked whether he would attend the CC meeting, said: “Nope. It is illegal.” Secretary for finance and administration Ramona Hidileko also said she would not attend. “Nekundi must not take advantage of those who do not understand the constitution and he must not only turn to the constitution when it suits him,” she said. Imms Nashinge, the secretary for economic affairs, will also not attend. “That is not a SPYL CC meeting but a Nekundi’s CC. As we all know the NEC should call the CC meeting,” said Nashinge. Similarly, the secretary for special programmes Josephat Hiwana will not attend. He said individuals have no power to call a CC meeting. This view was shared by the secretary for health, population and environment Sioni Ikela, who said: “Nekundi is outside the structure so he cannot take such decisions. Even if he were in the structure, only the NEC can call such a meeting.” Legal affairs secretary Naftali Kambungu said: “I will not attend an unconstitutional CC because it was not called by the NEC.” Secretary for education, the Swapo Pioneer Movement and culture, Menthel Links, also said he would snub the meeting. 2015-07-22Staff Report 2
