Last throw of the dice

Campaigning for this week’s national polls reached a climax over the weekend as several political parties held their final rallies nationwide before voters cast their ballots on Wednesday.While the ruling party is expected to win the largest share of the vote, analysts say it remains to be seen whether it can storm its way to a two-thirds majority. Opposition parties, on the other hand, are hoping that voters shun the ruling party at the polls.Supporters of the long-governing Swapo Party, which has been in power since 1990, gathered in Gobabis on Saturday and Windhoek yesterday for the party’s final rally, which attracted thousands of party loyalists who came to hear what party leader Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah had to say.While conceding to some failures, Swapo has maintained that Namibia is a better place than it was during apartheid. Swapo is also widely credited with success in providing education and healthcare to thousands of Namibians, as well as introducing social safety nets to safeguard vulnerable Namibians.The final Swapo rally ahead of next Wednesday’s National Assembly and presidential elections drew delegates from sister countries, including Zimbabwe and Botswana. Swapo&#039;s vice-president Nandi-Ndaitwah once again pledged to fulfil the party manifesto&#039;s promise of mass employment.Swapo also welcomed back Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, who parted ways with the party to pursue activism duties with the Affirmative Repositioning movement.Vote &#039;for change&#039;But while Swapo was singing its own praises, those who attended opposition party rallies were repeatedly urged to “vote for change”.Opposition leaders leveraged the country’s high unemployment rate, corruption and income disparities to discredit Swapo in an attempt to sway voters.Also in Windhoek, the official opposition, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), held its final rally at the Khomasdal Stadium. Having landed 16 parliamentary seats in 2019, it remains to be seen if the party will maintain its dominance amongst the opposition ranks.Youth the primary focusIn northern Namibia, the most populous part of the country, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which has placed unprecedented pressure on Swapo, filled the streets as they walked from Ongwediva to the Okandjengedi open field, where presidential hopeful Dr Panduleni Itula addressed his followers.IPC is one of the debutants in the elections this year, with political analysts predicting that it could pose a threat to Swapo’s dominance.At yesterday’s rally, Itula called on the youth to vote for change, arguing that the IPC is the only political party that has the interests of the youth at heart.“How much longer do you need to suffer at home? It is no longer fashionable to vote for history. It is no more fashionable to sing liberation struggle songs as a means to convince people to vote for you. What have you done for 34 years?” Itula said.Former official opposition, the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), also held its final rally in the capital city on Saturday afternoon. The party is eyeing an improved performance compared to the 2019 polls.Income grant promisedNear the banks of the Kavango River, the All Peoples Party (APP) held its pre-election gathering at its base in Mashare, some 40 kilometres east of Rundu.The party will go into the elections without its founder, Ignatius Shixwameni, who died in 2021.The party’s presidential candidate Ambrosius Kumbwa this week told supporters “if you vote for any party other than the APP, your vote, in my view, is wasted. However, it remains your democratic right. Bring your family, extended family and neighbours, and vote for the APP as your party of choice for meaningful change.”APP had its final rally in Katima Mulili yesterday, where party vice-president Linus Muchila addressed party members.Muchila lamented that “Namibia is blessed with mineral resources, yet its people are languishing in poverty”.The APP promised a basic income grant of up to N$2 500 if elected in power.He also highlighted the lack of agricultural productivity, particularly in the Zambezi Region, which has high rainfall and fertile land. Muchila pointed out that, despite government claims, the region lacks a fully developed green scheme project capable of feeding the nation after 34 years of independence.Police readyAs parties wrapped up their final rallies, the Namibian Police has given assurance that its members are ready to ensure that there is law and order on election day.Preparations for Wednesday&#039;s national election day are abuzz across the country, with 17 684 election officials already due to report to their deployment destinations by Saturday to fill 2 521 polling stations. The teams will be accompanied by police officers.The Namibian Police&#039;s deputy inspector-general responsible for operations, Major-General Elias Mutota, on Friday said the police are ready for polling day and that about 4 677 police officers will be deployed to maintain order and the law during the voting process.#NamibiaDecides2024

Last throw of the dice

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-25

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Last throw of the dice

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-25

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