Otjinene
Urban and Rural Development Minister Sophia Shaningwa has ordered Nudo to withdraw Vincent Kahua as a party candidate for the local authority election at Omaruru.
Nudo secretary-general Meundju Jahanika revealed this on Sunday at Otjinene and assured members that the party has no intention of complying with the minister’s instruction.
Kahua is a former mayor of Omaruru, but was suspended along with several other councillors implicated in a series of irregularities within Omaruru Town Council.
Shaningwa is said to have instructed Jahanika not to forward Kahua’s name as candidate for the upcoming local authority elections until the outcome of the probe is known.
Kahua and seven other town councillors were indefinitely suspended for failing to follow government directives, following a ministerial probe that allegedly unearthed evidence of malfeasance at the town council.
Kahua, Johannes Hamutenya, Hendrina Gebhardt (both Swapo), and UDF’s Christian Nanuseb were elected to stand as regional council candidates for the Omaruru constituency or local authority councillors in the November 27 elections, despite pending investigations.
Addressing party members here on Sunday, Jahanika said until proven guilty by a court of law the Nudo party has no intentions of removing its candidate from the list.
“If Shaningwa wants us to remove Kahua, she must first remove Agnes Kafula from parliament, because she (Kafula) was also accused of giving a plot to her son,” Jahanika said.
Nudo candidate for Katutura Central constinuency Josie Kauandenge shared the same sentiment, saying the move is politically motivated. “The Swapo Party is scared of Nudo. Now they started with their political tactics to prevent us from running the town council,” he said.
Meanwhile, party members made it very clear that they aim to win the Epukiro constituency from the Swapo Party. Juda Hangero is the party candidate for Epukiro constituency.
Speaking to New Era on the sidelines of the election rally, Hangero advised voters to vote for a good candidate to improve the quality of local governance. “To improve governance, the first step is to vote for the best candidates,” Hangero said. He said true patriotism involves voting for the best candidate, regardless of religion or caste.
Patriotism does not just mean singing the national anthem, or draping oneself in the national flag, but means working ethically and honestly within local, regional and central government to make public governance strong, robust and enduring, he said.