Obrein Simasiku
Omuthiya-Delegates attending the Oshikoto regional conference have been advised to use the occasion to make meaningful recommendations instead of using the event as a platform to disagree and raise negative issues.
“Most of the time delegates tend to focus more on the elections instead of coming up with ideas, forgetting that the leader they will elect will need their assistance and guidance in executing duties assigned to them. Therefore, we would like to see at the end of the conference that you come up with recommendations that the regional executive can forward to the central committee and the politburo through the secretary general,” advised the Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who also serves as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.
“By so doing I would like to see at least 75 percent of the time of the conference used to discuss the developmental issues and the way forward. Swapo Party is a family where issues are discussed and resolved,” she added.
Nandi-Ndaitwah was speaking at the official opening of the conference, which was previously postponed three times. The postponements were caused by allegations by some delegates that the constitutional processes were not followed during the extraordinary conferences, complaints brought against national leaders assigned to the region, as well as alleged division between the regional executive committee members and some councillors.
“No shortcuts to whenever responsibilities are given to you, walk that long route to success,” she said.
In the same vein the regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu said he would continue to humble himself and work for the well-being of the people of Oshikoto and Swapo Party.
“Oshikoto Region has become a battlefield like that of Cuito Cuanavale in an independent Namibia. This battle is equivalent to that which led to our independence today. It was not easy for us to be here today but we have made it – therefore we shall continue working from where we have done in the past five years and cement unity in the party. We will continue to fight hunger, poverty, unemployment and tribalism,” stressed Amukwiyu.
“I believe that a political party is an important agency in modern society, and what should matter is our determination to uplift the living standards of our people. We shall double our efforts to ensure that we adopt resolutions geared towards ensuring that every household in Oshikoto has something to sustain its members, access to electricity, clean water and basic education as well as proper buildings, but not under trees, neither shacks,” avowed Amukwiyu.
Some notable people such as Dr Elijah Ngurare, Desmond Amunyela and Valery Aron were in attendance to show solidarity with Amukwiyu.