Zebaldt Ngaruka

The nullification of the Okorukambe branch and section elections by regional coordinator Ruth Kaukuata-Mbura caused disagreement between the Swapo party leaders in Omaheke.

In a strongly-worded letter this week, Swapo’s Okorukambe district coordinator Franz Murangi described Kaukuata-Mbura’s nullifications as biased.

Murangi also reminded Kaukuata-Mbura that it is within the constitutional powers of the Okorukambe district leadership to facilitate the renewal of the mandates of sections and branches within the district.

This renewal of mandates, albeit being later nullified, took place at an executive committee meeting held on 3 March 2024.

“Having considered your threatening and complaints letters from the concerned district executive members, the district secretariat has resolved to convene a district executive committee (DEC) meeting on 14 April 2024, where all attendees of the 3 March meeting will be expected to confirm their disputed attendance and the unlawfulness of programmes. Hence, my invitation to you to come witness the above meeting,” Murangi told Kaukuata-Mbura.

Murangi also expressed disappointment on the absence from the march meeting of senior Swapo figure, seasoned diplomat Kaire Mbuende, and Okorukambe constituency councillor Rocco Nguvauva.

He accused the duo of sabotage and instigating other party loyalists against attending the planned meetings.

Murangi furthermore told Kaukuata-Mbura that the peace and stability that prevailed in the Okorukambe district elections has been negatively impacted by the emergence of Mbuende into the party’s structures, coupled with Nguvauva’s alleged fight to hold on to the position of branch coordinator, while concurrently running the constituency as councillor.  

“Also coupled with the above factors is the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority (OTA) politics that they [Mbuende and Nguvauva] are advancing at the expense of the Swapo party,” he charged. 

“No wonder, comrade Kaukuata-Mbura, comrade Sophia Shaningwa and comrade Calle Schlettwein have to sit with a hot potato evicting OTA councillors from farm Ozombahe facilitated by Nguvauva, something that is a great disappointment to the people of my Omitara branch,” he stated. However, Ovambanderu spokesperson Uazenga Ngahahe distanced the authority from meddling in political affairs.  

“We strongly condemn those allegations, and we are not part of Okorukambe constituency political battles even though Mbuende and honourable Nguvauva are members of this traditional authority,” Ngahahe said. 

He continued: “It’s high time that those with an agenda against OTA refrain from using it for motives only known to them. We know our mandates, and we do not reap what we didn’t sow.” 

Threats

Murangi then directed a salvo in Nguvauva’s direction, saying the Okorukambe district leadership will not hesitate to recall him from the National Council should he continue sowing seeds of division and bringing Swapo’s name into disrepute.

On his part, Nguvauva described Murangi’s assertions as baseless and a “last kick of a dying horse”. 

Nguvauva also cautioned Marangi against dragging the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority into party matters to deflect attention from his own failures. 

“He is a failure; I will not entertain a ghost. Who is he to recall me, and with what mandate, if he could not even call a district executive committee? But he is using people’s names, and claims the meeting has formed a quorum,” an unperturbed Nguvauva said.

“Why is it only one person, every year for the past 15 years, disturbing the peace and stability of the Swapo party in the region?” asked Nguvauva.

He also claimed that the complaints' letter written to Murangi was not jotted down by him alone, but by the majority of the Okorukambe district executive committee members. 

“He realised that he was wrong, and withdrew his decision to go ahead with the restructuring. Where on earth did you hear a district coordinator doing recruitment in sections while the branch leaders are there?” questioned Nguvauva.

According to him, the REC told the district chief to stop the process “because he couldn’t even provide minutes of the so-called DEC meeting he claimed to have featured, nor can Murangi provide an attendance register”.

“If he thinks he can remote-control me, that would be a big mistake. I am a principled man,” the unionist-turned-politician said.

Backward never  

Nguvauva also shared letters with this publication written to Murangi by the REC in attempts to run the renewal process smoothly.

Approached by New Era for comment, Mbuende referred this publication to Kaukuata-Mbura, who the letter is addressed to.  

“I would rather refrain from commenting on the letter addressed to the regional coordinator, who dealt with the situation appropriately. The innuendos about me are of no consequence in this context, I have better things to deal with,” said Mbuende. 

“I will not pay much attention to the letter [from Murangi] but the work on the ground. We were there in Okorukambe with my staff, and the renewal process will start afresh as agreed in the meeting,” said Kaukuata-Mbura when asked about the way forward in the wake of Murangi’s dictum. 

The politician then called on party members in Okorukambe to put their differences aside and work in unison to achieve the party’s common goals. 

“It’s good that the renewal process will restart, and members will also be issued with party cards. This is a very disturbing situation, and as leaders, we must be cooperating for the good of our voters and deliver efficiently,” Kaukuata-Mbura said. 

-  zngaruka@yahoo.com