By Shikuva wa Kapumburu
WINDHOEK, Aug. 14 — The ruling Swapo party was busy yesterday and today concluding regional conferences to give new five (5) year mandates to the regional leadership including electing candidates to the central committee and the delegates to the upcoming watershed November Congress.
Results from seven regions //Kharas, Hardap, Omaheke, Khomas, Omusati, Kavango West and Kavango East who have completed their conferences show that all coordinators who were in the Harambee political slate of 2017 which ensued the presidency of Hage Geingob all retained their positions.
Harambee smile, Omusati Sackey Kayone, Oshikoto Armas Amukwiyu, !Kharas Matheus Mumbala, Kavango East Otilie Shinduvi and Otjozondjupa Susan Ikopua.
Oshikoto was the only region whose coordinator Armas Amukwiyu was not in the Harambee slate. Amukwiyu was known as president Geingob’s personal friend but was in the Team Swapo slate. Although both groups announced they had abandoned slates, in reality, the politics of 2017 remain on both sides despite the top leadership calling for genuine unity in the party.
These results also indicate that during the upcoming November Congress the top three positions in Swapo are likely to remain the same though some don’t want to use the common slogan “The legacy continues” as the top leadership were in the same slate of 2017 making it difficult for any challenger to penetrate the leadership at the Congress.
Matheus Mumbala of //Kharas, Ruth Kaukuata-Mbura Omaheke, Mbako of the Khomas region and Otillie Shinduvi of the Kavango East region also retained their positions.
“This can also be the work of their coordinators’ forum and some top leadership who liaise with them during this time of elections and ignore the outcry of disgruntled members against challenging top regional leadership by new leadership,” a source said – Namibia Daily News.
