KATIMA MULILO – Members of the Swapo Party in the Sibbinda District held a peaceful demonstration in Katima Mulilo yesterday, where they handed over their petition directed to Swapo Party Secretary-General Sophia Shaningwa, to the Regional Coordinator Moffat Sileze.
The group was transported from the Sibbinda Constituency, some 60 kilometres southwest of Katima Mulilo, to town and demonstrate against the Swapo regional coordinator. The group is demanding the removal of Sileze whom they are accusing of trying to divide the party.
“He does not recognise the party instruments such as the constitution, rules, and procedures for election of party office bearers and party representatives at legislative and government levels and the code of conduct,” reads their petition, which was read by Sibbinda District Coordinator and former governor of Zambezi Region Leonard Mwilima.
They further accused Sileze of practicing favouritism as he, “unilaterally chooses a delegation to investigate the Sibbinda petition without even consulting the regional executive or informing the district coordinator”.
New Era understands that this is in reference to a complainant letter a fraction of concerned community members of Sibbinda Constituency wrote to Swapo Secretary-General Sofia Shaningwa complaining about the irregularities on how constituency leaders are being chosen in Sibbinda.
In the letter in possession of New Era, the concerned group lead by business personnel Matengu Nkando, is accusing Sibbinda Constituency Councillor Ignatius Chunga of “hand picking party structure members solely by himself without a democratic and open fashioned manner of doing it in the well-known Swapo Party culture of inclusivity and self-determination”.
The demonstrators are of the opinion that Sileze is sympathising with the concerned group, whom they say are misled by few individuals who want to cause chaos in the district. “He refused to consult the district coordinator and the honourable councillor who are key to find the lasting solution,” reads their petition.
The group further alleged that Sileze “has already identified his preferred candidate for the regional elections contrary to the provision by the party rules and procedures”. They also demanded that he should be removed from his position of regional coordinator.
Upon receiving the petition, Sileze thanked the group for exercising their democratic rights to demonstrate, however, he declined to comment on the allegations labelled against him.