As the countdown to Namibia’s crucial elections climaxes, citizens are gearing up to cast their votes to determine the country’s fate for the next five years.
Namibia is pregnant, and will in the coming days deliver a president-elect and 96 members of the National Assembly to preside over the executive and legislative branches of the State, respectively.
The past weekend was vibrant with concluding rallies, especially in Windhoek, where political parties made their last efforts to connect with voters and rally support ahead of tomorrow’s elections.
Current official opposition in the National Assembly, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), led by their charismatic leader McHenry Venaani, held their final rally at the Khomasdal Stadium in Windhoek on Sunday.
There, the message was clear from the politician: it is time for change.
He then quickly turned to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Election Observers.
“This country has the most biased State media and the most unequal access to media,” he charged.
Venaani accused the public broadcaster, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), of preferential coverage of the ruling Swapo Party over other political entities. He thus urged the observers to include these observations in their reports.
The politician further underlined concerns about foreign influence in Namibian elections, drawing parallels to Mozambique’s situation.
“Southern Angolan voters are determining the outcome of our elections,” claimed Venaani.
He further called for accountability and change in Namibia as the country approaches its elections.
“Do not steal from the poor people; we have had enough of you,” he noted, vowing to recover misappropriated funds if elected president.
He then criticised high-ranking officials for seeking medical care abroad, highlighting that “the services we are giving to our people are below standard.”
He also outlined his vision for a brighter future focused on youth empowerment, economic diversification, mechanisation of agriculture and universal healthcare.
“We are tired of corruption,” he declared, urging voters to demand transparency and accountability from their leaders.
Venaani likewise expressed concern over job requirements which exclude many from the workforce, labelling certain companies as “the biggest perpetrators of corruption in this country.”
He proposed reallocating 10% of the defence budget to agriculture to ensure food security and job-creation.
In the 2019 elections, Venaani secured 5.3% of the presidential vote, but remains determined to challenge the status quo and lead Namibia towards a more equitable future.
Out of 820 227 votes in the last National Assembly elections, the PDM got 136 576, which was 16.6%, and secured 16 seats.
-mndjavera@nepc.com.na