Former Gobabis mayor Elvire Theron has rejected assertions that Nudo is a one-tribe political party which only serves the interests of Ovaherero.
She will be one of the frontrunners for the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo)’s vice presidency at the party’s watershed elective congress next month.
Theron has been a party member for over six years, and currently serves as a councillor in the Gobabis municipal council on Nudo’s ticket.
She said her rapid rise and prominence in the party structures is adequate proof that Nudo is indeed a national party.
Despite it being an Ovaherero-dominated formation, Theron maintained that founder Hosea Kutako never had any tribal agenda when he formed the party.
Kutako, she asserted, was at all times driven by the liberation of Namibia.
“The reason why I, a Baster girl with no Herero roots to my birthline, can stand here and confidently vie for the party’s vice president position is because Nudo has created that conducive environment. I know of the talks that Nudo is a Herero party that only serves the Ovaherero, but here I am to prove that any Namibian can join Nudo, and thrive within the party and at national level. I’m not a Herero, but a Baster serving as a councillor on a Nudo ticket. That’s why I’m saying the party has moved and is ready to embrace all Namibians,” said Theron, who was elected Gobabis mayor in 2020.
At next month’s congress, more than 500 Nudo loyalists will meet under one roof between 12 and 13 July to decide the party’s fate for the next five years.
Nudo’s incumbent leader and deputy health minister Esther Muinjangue will not be standing for re-election at the coming congress.
Theron sees her standing for the vice presidency post as an opportunity to maintain the presence of female leaders within the party’s top echelons.
A renowned figure within the Gobabis and Omaheke region’s religious, political and socio-economic affairs, she has for years kept the party’s torch burning in the Gobabis municipal council, and now feels the time is ripe for her to move up to the party’s uppermost structures.
“This year’s national elections present us with a unique opportunity to either think out of the box and transform the party into a national dominant force, or stick to the old ways of doing things, and perish as a whole. These are very important elections for Nudo. That is why I have availed myself for the party vice president position. It’s because I want to help transform our party from within, and I’m confident we can achieve a lot this year if we strive for unity, and put the party’s interest first. That process starts at our elective congress next month.”
“Women and youth empowerment are at the forefront of my agenda, and I will ensure that we uplift enough women and youth in our party. Look, like I said, I don’t belong to any OTA [Ovaherero Traditional Authority] factions, and I don’t do slate politics. So, that places me in a good position to work with everyone and anyone who wants to serve the best interests of the party. I’m ready to work with whoever is elected party leader at our congress. The party comes first,” she continued.
Genocide
On the heated Nama and Ovaherero genocide issue, which Nudo has been at the forefront of for almost two decades now, Theron is adamant that she has the capacity and understanding to significantly contribute to and shape the dialogue around the genocide matter, both at party and national level.
“The genocide affected mainly the Ovaherero and Nama people, but the German battering was felt by almost all Namibian tribes. For us Baster people, we have our Sam !Khubis episode, which was against the Germans as well. The horrors and pain inflicted on the Baster people are similar to those of the Nama and Ovaherero genocide – although the latter was much worse, by any measure of comparison. So, I have a comprehensive understanding of the genocide matter; where it started, and where it is right now. It is our issue, and we will resolve it together, not just the Ovaherero and Nama, but all of us as a collective.”
The battle of Sam !Khubis is a historic bloody confrontation between German colonial forces and the Baster people which took place on 8 May 1915.
The battle saw the Germans attacking and forcing the Basters to flee to their stronghold of Sam !Khubis.
At the moment, Germany has offered 1.1 billion euros (or N$18 billion) for developmental projects in seven identified regions as reparations for genocide, which is a far cry from Namibia’s demand of N$1.1 trillion.
The latter figure takes into account loss of life, dispossession of land and displacement.
Another issue which does not sit well with affected communities, the Namibian government and opposition parties is that the proposed N$18 billion is to be paid over 30 years. Meanwhile, talks between the two governments have seemingly hit a stalemate.
Build-up
In the build-up to what is expected to live up to its billing, several events have raised curtains for the main Nudo event.
Chief among them was the withdrawal from the crowded presidential race by party secretary general (SG) Joseph Kauandenge.
Before pulling out, he equated the party to a ship on the verge of sinking if it does not rid itself of a “cancer” tearing it asunder.
The cancer he was figuratively referring to is the OTA and its two factions.
The two OTA factions are each led by academics Mutjinde Katjiua and Hoze Riruako.
The two groups do not see eye-to-eye, and are opposed on key Ovaherero issues. Katjiua has since distanced himself from internal political matters of any political party.
Those left standing are party vice president and Aminuis constituency councillor Peter Kazongominja, erstwhile Okakarara constituency councillor Vetaruhe Kandorozu, deputy Windhoek mayor Joseph Uapingene and former Namibia Football Association secretary general Barry Rukoro.
-ohembapu@nepc.com.na
(Nudo)
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