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Home / Swapo threaten to suspend leaders over mass land applications
Swapo threaten to suspend leaders over mass land applications
2015-02-23Staff Report 2 Keetmanshoop – Swapo regional coordinator for // Kharas Region Mathew Mumbala has threatened to suspend anyone from the party’s regional leadership for participating in the national mass land application campaign planned for this Friday by Affirmative Repositioning land activists. Mumbala said he would not seek permission from party secretary general Nangolo Mbumba to suspend any Swapo regional leaders participating in the land campaign. “If the party says it’s going to address the land issue with the government, who are we to do something at the lower level?” he asked attendees of a Swapo regional leadership consultative meeting at Keetmanshoop on Saturday. Speaking at the same occasion, Mbumba took a swipe at Affirmative Repositioning’s Job Amupanda, whom he accused of insulting elders and trying to “mess up the government”. Mbumba questioned the principles and objectives of Amupanda’s land campaign, with another wave of mass land applications planned for Friday this week across the country. Mbumba did not mention Amupanda’s name at the meeting but his reference was clearly directed at the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) central committee member, who is currently suspended from any ruling party activities. Affirmative Repositioning activists organised a mass land application campaign in Windhoek last year where 14 059 applications were delivered to the City of Windhoek. Mbumba also used the occasion to question the timing of this week’s envisaged mass land applications, insinuating that this is meant to create negative hype ahead of the inauguration of Dr Hage Geingob as president of Namibia next month. Amupanda has on numerous occasions stated that his pursuit of land availability to Namibians had nothing to do with politics. Mbumba accused Amupanda of lacking respect for elders, saying the fact that the suspended Swapo youth league member is well educated does not give him the right to insult people. “This person is insulting the people that sent him to school,” Mbumba added. The Swapo secretary general said Namibians must not look down on the efforts of the founding president Sam Nujoma and all the progress that has been made after independence. He also hit out at those claiming that government has failed, saying the country has seen significant progress since independence 25 years ago. “What has your father done, what will you do, what better things will you do than liberating a country?” asked Mbumba. Amupanda is the brains behind Affirmative Reposition movement together with fellow activists Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, a banker, and George Kambala of Nanso. On Saturday Mbumba thanked the party’s regional leadership in //Kharas for delivering in last year’s general elections, which the ruling party and its candidate won overwhelmingly. 2015-02-23Staff Report 2
