WINDHOEK - Swapo Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa yesterday said she no longer wants to hear talks of Team Harambee and Team Swapo – who faced each other at last year’s congress – ahead of next year’s general elections.
She urged party members to set aside internal differences as Swapo seeks to consolidate its dominance of Namibian politics ahead of next year’s crunch Presidential and National Assembly elections. “As we are moving forward, I do not want to hear anymore Team Harambee, I do not want to hear anymore Team Swapo… we are all members of this great Swapo Party,” she said, while addressing the media here yesterday.
Some members of the two temporary teams have refused to let go of the rivalry – or even adversity - that existed prior to congress.
Team Harambee, led by party and state president Hage Geingob, emerged runaway victors at the congress, where he faced Jerry Ekandjo and Nahas Angula in the party presidency contest.
Murmurs of discontent, capped by allegations of purging, exclusion and, startlingly, election rigging have been going on a year since that congress took place.
The cherry on top of the sour cake has been insults, often traded on social media, between members of the disbanded congress teams.
Shaningwa warned that the ruling party must restore its unity ahead of the elections.
“We should also understand that the year 2019 will be a year whereby Swapo Party will be faced by the opposition and we cannot go into that year of elections - national elections - with Swapo members divided.”
She stresses that with unity, Swapo can rule “forever and ever”.
“We all pay one percent, why the beef, why the beef?” she wanted to know.
Shaningwa made the call at the Swapo headquarters while announcing the dates for the Swapo extraordinary congress, to be held at Ramatex in Windhoek from November 30 to December 1 this year.
Shaningwa said the decision to hold the party extraordinary congress this year was taken during the Swapo Party 6th ordinary congress last year.
The extraordinary congress, being a continuation of last year’s elective congress, will be attented by delegates who took part in last year’s congregation.
“No replacement is allowed and therefore the emphasis is that only those who attended the 6th ordinary congress of Swapo Party in 2017 will attend the extraordinary congress,” Shaningwa clarified.
She said during last year’s congress the party resolved that an extraordinary congress be convened this year to deliberate on some of the issues which could not be concluded at that congress because of time constraints.
These include the amendments of the Swapo Party constitution and the adoption of the report and resolutions of the 6th ordinary congress.
“In upholding the tenets on which the Swapo Party was founded, the agenda of the party is subjected to continuous review, interrogation and scrutiny in ensuring that the mandate of the electorates are fulfilled,” she said.
Furthermore, Shaningwa said the extraordinary congress shall deliberate on and adopt the report and resolutions so passed by the past ordinary elective congresses.
She said the central committee has established structures in the form of preparatory committees tasked with the various aspects of congress preparations.
She explained that these committees are made up of the leadership of Swapo Party and comprise party cadres co-opted to help prepare for the occasion.
Shaningwa added that the preparatory team is headed by the national preparatory committee chaired by President Geingob.
“Under this committee are sub-committees to carry out specific tasks,” she added.
She said the responsibilities of the sub-committees range from finance to documentation, transport, information and publicity, legal affairs, security, defence and accreditation.