Branch mushrooming allegations surface ahead of Nudo congress

WINDHOEK, 19 MAY  – The rate at which new National Unity Democratic Organisation’s (Nudo) branches are developing is appalling and could mean the elections are already rigged ahead of its elective congress on Friday.
This means illegal delegates could make it to the highly anticipated congress to decide Nudo’s fate for the next five years.
This was revealed by Windhoek councilor and ‘Team Nudo’s’ secretary general (SG) candidate, Joseph Kauandange in an interview with Nampa on Saturday.
Team Nudo is one of the two Nudo factions that will contest for leadership positions at the congress on 25 and 26 May 2018 in the capital.
The concerns stem from overnight branches that Nudo now has in areas where it never had a constituency or votes in the past.
This situation could have serious repercussions on the outcome of congress, Kauandenge said.
“The only concern that we have is the mushrooming of branches. There are places that you know that we don’t get votes there…but all of the sudden, because our colleagues (Team 100 % VK) are in the engine, you hear springing up left, right and center,” Kauandenge bemoaned.
He indicated that the matter was raised with the Nudo’s congress organising committee.
“There are places like Otavi where you know we don’t have a constituency there. But suddenly, you have 13 branches coming from there. How?” he asked.
Other example, where Nudo branches are purported to have been fabricated include the two Kavango Regions, Zambezi, Hardap and //Kharas.
Quizzed on whether the mushrooming of branches could translate into election rigging at congress, the politician replied: “No. We are saying we will protest. They really have to give us concrete reasons and explanations as to why these branches cannot be done away with.”
According to Kauandenge, the establishment of these branches is an attempt to boost Team 100 % VK’s chances of emerging victorious at congress.
However, current SG Meundju Jahanika denied the ‘mushrooming of Nudo branches’.

“There is no truth in that. Over 90 per cent of the branches were established in 2013,” Jahanika dismissed.
According to him, Nudo established branches in Otjiiwarongo, Kombat but denied the existences of any Nudo branches in Rundu.
Another hotly contested issue in the run up to congress was the creation of 40 new branches in the Aminuis Constituency from the initial four it had.
This was shut down by Nudo’s highest decision-making body, the National Council, thus only four branches will attend the congress from the Aminuis Constituency.
Each Nudo branch will be represented by two people at congress, its coordinator and administrator.

NAMPA