By Nankali za Muserengwa
WINDHOEK – The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) central committee on Saturday endorsed incumbents Ephraim Nekongo and Christine Haindaka as candidates for Secretary and Deputy Secretary during the league’s upcoming congress slated for 17-20 August 2022.
The venue of the congress is still to be decided.
This was confirmed by Gerson Dumeni National Secretary of Information and mobilization of the youth league in a statement issued on Sunday afternoon.
However, according to a number of sources who attended the CC meeting at Parliament gardens in Windhoek, the endorsement of Nekongo was challenged by Khomas region delegates.
During the meeting, central committee member Konika Kandume from the Khomas region opposed the seemingly popular decision and nominated Timothy Angala, former Nanso president who was camped outside the meeting venue to wait for the results of nominations for the Secretary’s position.
However, Kandume was let down by her comrades who failed to second her nomination.
According to an expert on youth league politics, new candidates can still emerge during the upcoming regional conferences to challenge for the two top positions of the youth league, as regions can also endorse NEC and CC decisions or nominate new candidates.
The opening of the youth league central committee meeting by president Hage Geingob was also seen by many as a direct intervention in the infighting within the youth league as he (president) repeatedly appealed for unity in the youth league and sought support for his blue-eyed boy, Kunene Governor Marius Sheya who was demoted by the youth league.
However, the moment President Geingob left the meeting around 19h00, Sheya was under fire again from his comrades in the National Executive Committee (NEC) who explained to the central committee why the Governor was demoted from NEC to CC member.
Sheya, who flew from Opuwo to Windhoek for the CC meeting with the president, defended himself against accusations levelled against him by his comrades such as absenteeism, insubordination and undermining SPYL leadership and reporting the matters involving the youth league directly to the party’s top brass and not through youth league.
However, his defence was not convincing for the central committee who endorsed recommendations of the NEC that he be demoted and removed from his position of Secretary for Economy affairs to be an ordinary central committee member.
The meeting also decided to host the second conference of the Swapo Party Pioneers Movement (SPPM) on 07 June 2022.
