WINDHOEK - The ruling party Swapo yesterday distanced itself from the independent candidate in the upcoming Ondangwa Urban Constituency by-election, after social media posts suggested she was a ‘Swapo independent candidate’.
Photos of Angelina Immanuel were accompanied by Swapo colours, with a call to vote for her.
Addressing the media in the capital, Swapo Secretary for Information and Mobilisation Hilma Nicanor said the party has noted with dismay “some people who claim to be independent candidates”, but are masquerading themselves in the Swapo party colours on social media.
“The Swapo Party distances itself and denounces with the contempt the detractors and elements in the form of a so-called independent candidate who by hooks and crooks is using the Swapo party name,” said Nicanor.
Nicanor called on all the Swapo members, supporters and sympathizers to reject what she termed as desperate attempts by the “so called independent candidate.”
“Remain vigilant against distortions of all sorts that have the potential to derail the gains of our party,” she cautioned.
“Let us put those detractors with unwarranted intentions to shame by turning up in numbers as usual at all our campaign events and the subsequent by-elections for the Ondangwa Urban Constituency scheduled to take place in June 2019,” she stressed.
Nicanor said the party will tomorrow at Ondangwa launch its by-election campaign for the sole Swapo Party candidate for the Ondangwa Urban Constituency, Leonard Sunday Negonga.
The launch, she said will be officiated by Swapo Member of the Central Committee, Prime Minister Sara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
She urged all Swapo Party members, supporters, sympathizers to turn out in their big numbers at the Swapo campaign launch rally for the Ondangwa Urban Constituency by-election at the S.O.S. Omashaka location, Ondangwa Town.
Nicanor says the liberation struggle waged by the Swapo Party was all about liberating Namibia and Namibians to determine their own destiny.
“Part of such destiny is to elect leaders of their own choice who together with them will chart the road map and ways and means to continue the uplifment of the standard of living of our people while enabling them to capitalize on opportunities created by the Swapo Party government,” she said.
Remaining true to its principals on whom our party is founded, Nicanor said it is the Swapo Party and no any other political party that will continue to progressively bring about tangible and positive changes to the lives of the Namibian people through deliberate development programmes.
“Swapo Party is confident to equivocally reiterate that no any other political party in Namibia has a track record to have diligently served the interest of the Namibian people,” she said.
Nicanor said Swapo preferred candidate for Ondangwa Urban Constituency, Negonga is a long-standing tried, patriotic, dedicated and tested Swapo cadre and an experienced leader who served as one of the longest serving mayor of Ondangwa.
Similarly, she said Negonga has a track record that anyone can be proud of.
“Under his leadership, Cde Negonga contributed immensely to the growth of Ondangwa into the modern developing town it is today,” she said.