Steven Klukowski
KEETMANSHOOP – Delegates at the internal Swapo campaign event in Keetmanshoop this week said they want candidates competing for the party’s top positions to address unity, prove their leadership credentials and say how they will arrest dwindling support from the electorate.
The party’s first-of-its-kind internal campaign took candidates contesting for the top positions to travel to all 14 regions to address delegates in those regions and share their manifestos on why they think they are suitable candidates for those positions.
Delegates vying to be part of the party’s central committee have also joined them to canvass for votes in the closed-door sessions. The travelling party was in //Kharas region on Wednesday.
Speaking to New Era, central committee member Lazarus Nangolo, who also serves as Oranjemund constituency councillor, said he expected candidates to ensure the advancement of the party.
“We, furthermore, want them to promote unity of purpose in the Swapo structures and address economic development for the //Kharas region and the country at large,” he urged.
Nangolo added nominated candidates should also speak on improved service delivery to enhance development of the country and install confidence in delegates of their suitability to be voted into power. “As we lost many seats at both regional council and local authority levels, this time around, Swapo should seriously address and rectify the challenge of disunity amongst structures in the //Kharas region if the party wants to regain those seats which are now occupied by the opposition,” he reasoned.
The politician continued that, as the only regional councillor who retained his seat for Oranjemund during the last elections, he feels people should be more involved and informed in decision making processes and also on what the party has achieved in terms of service delivery for the past two years in the region.
Tobie Aupindi, who is also a politburo member, wants candidates to prove and demonstrate to delegates their capability in terms of their unique, transferable and special skills as a means to improve their chances for the top positions in the party. On how to take over the majority control of political seats in //Kharas, he advised that the party should renew itself.
“We must install a sense of hope in the electorate through accelerating the economic agenda which should be predominantly youth-centred,” said the delegate. He also said since the majority of the country’s population are young people, government should move forward in accelerating the agenda of the youth in the region, giving them confidence as a means to regain political control of the //Kharas region.
Swapo Party Youth League regional secretary Valmary Jantje said the youth want the candidates to convince them why they should be voted for or rallied behind.
“They should prove to us how they can address the challenge of unity within Swapo and in addition how they can work towards addressing the agenda of economic emancipation of the youth,” she put as another expectation.
She added that the candidates must also speak on how to ensure that everybody in the country will be included when it comes to the economic development agenda.
“We (youth) must be consulted when it comes to decision making processes for the benefit of the people as this is the only way the youth can grow and mature politically,” she recommended.
Jantje also reasoned, for as long as the //Kharas region’s political leadership speaks differently on issues as mini groups, hope will remain dim to regain those constituencies they lost.
“Swapo should also convince the electorate in the region of having a diverse mixture of culture, gender and representation to bring back those supporters who broke away from the party,” she advised.
She also recommended that the channels of communication through different structures in the region should be improved as another strategy. “People on the ground want to know what is happening in the party and in the country at large before they can make informed choices on choosing to support the party,” she said.
Representing the party as the Berseba district coordinator for the Swapo Party Women’s League, Anna Katrina Visagie said candidates must address the burning issue of inequality in the region.
“Despite being the richest region with a wealth of minerals, people are still living in poverty,” she said. She also recommended that the candidates should address issues of lack of housing and basic services in towns that are expanding daily in the region.
“For us to regain political control in //Kharas, the leadership should pull up their socks or ship out if they cannot deliver,” she said. Visagie added, those in leadership positions in the region should stop with their division and unite the party, as voters will not likely join a party where there is no unity of purpose.