Nekundi blasts Swapo gossip-mongers
Tells party motormouths to zip it
The deputy minister of works, who himself was successfully sued for slander in 2009, says gossip is destroying the party.
Swapo Party chairperson of national leaders assigned to Oshana, Veikko Nekundi, yesterday tore into members who thrive on gossip, saying they are tarnishing the name of the party by constantly fighting on social media platforms.
Nekundi said party members have become initiators and innovators of rumour-mongering against each other. He was speaking during the official opening of a one-day Swapo regional conference in Ongwediva yesterday.
He pleaded with delegates to avoid attacking each other on social media when they have disagreements in the party, adding that they should use the structures available to resolve issues.
“Become a born-again within the red, blue and green. Be a worthy member and stop insulting each other because you are creating factions.
“You are de-campaigning yourselves and weakening the party,” he told those in attendance.
“Your personal feelings and the feelings of the Swapo constitution are two different things. Follow the values of the party and suppress your personal feelings,” Nekundi said to a loud round of applause.
Wagons of lies
He likened the Swapo gossip-mongers to a train filling up the wagons with lies about others.
“If you want to become a train, go and register at Bipa [the Business and Intellectual Property Authority] and acquire locomotives and operate as such. We generate lies and innovate lies against other comrades. It’s dangerous,” he said.
Nekundi said some individuals go as far as having the courage to spread rumors “to the maximum” without verifying what is being said.
Oshana has divisions
“I have been in Oshana since 2017. It’s not good. You are divided in two groups. That comrade who you are tarnishing has another comrade. You have created division.
"You are showing a fist but you are destroying the party from within. Please unite,” Nekundi begged.
He said those who currently have ‘wagons’ to destroy the party should auction them off. The chairperson added that there are buyers out there who are not Swapo members.
“Nathaniel Maxuilili, Andimba Herman Toivo Ya Toivo and many of our departed leaders must be turning in their graves because of us. I do not think they are proud. Let us do better.”
Buy Chinese zips to zip your mouths
Nekundi advised his fellow members to visit the Chinese shops in the region to buy what he termed “zippers to zip their mouths”.
“Go and buy zippers if you do not know how to keep quiet. They will help you stop the rumour-mongering. We must be able to analyse why people do certain things. Is it really to advance the course of the party or personal interests?
“If it is personal interests, move away from that person. Our conduct will determine the sustainability of the Swapo Party,” he said.
Nekundi vs Kalomoh
In 2011, Nekundi – then the Swapo Party Youth League secretary for economic affairs – collectively paid former ambassador Tuliameni Kalomoh N$30 000 in damages and close to N$87 000 in legal costs after he made 'unfounded and false' claims against the diplomat.
He also apologised to then foreign affairs permanent secretary Veiccoh Nghiwete for the same remarks – which was that the two diplomats met a German ambassador to Namibia at the time and discussed “strategies to cause national destruction and confusion”. He made the remarks at a youth league press conference in 2009.
Nekundi said party members have become initiators and innovators of rumour-mongering against each other. He was speaking during the official opening of a one-day Swapo regional conference in Ongwediva yesterday.
He pleaded with delegates to avoid attacking each other on social media when they have disagreements in the party, adding that they should use the structures available to resolve issues.
“Become a born-again within the red, blue and green. Be a worthy member and stop insulting each other because you are creating factions.
“You are de-campaigning yourselves and weakening the party,” he told those in attendance.
“Your personal feelings and the feelings of the Swapo constitution are two different things. Follow the values of the party and suppress your personal feelings,” Nekundi said to a loud round of applause.
Wagons of lies
He likened the Swapo gossip-mongers to a train filling up the wagons with lies about others.
“If you want to become a train, go and register at Bipa [the Business and Intellectual Property Authority] and acquire locomotives and operate as such. We generate lies and innovate lies against other comrades. It’s dangerous,” he said.
Nekundi said some individuals go as far as having the courage to spread rumors “to the maximum” without verifying what is being said.
Oshana has divisions
“I have been in Oshana since 2017. It’s not good. You are divided in two groups. That comrade who you are tarnishing has another comrade. You have created division.
"You are showing a fist but you are destroying the party from within. Please unite,” Nekundi begged.
He said those who currently have ‘wagons’ to destroy the party should auction them off. The chairperson added that there are buyers out there who are not Swapo members.
“Nathaniel Maxuilili, Andimba Herman Toivo Ya Toivo and many of our departed leaders must be turning in their graves because of us. I do not think they are proud. Let us do better.”
Buy Chinese zips to zip your mouths
Nekundi advised his fellow members to visit the Chinese shops in the region to buy what he termed “zippers to zip their mouths”.
“Go and buy zippers if you do not know how to keep quiet. They will help you stop the rumour-mongering. We must be able to analyse why people do certain things. Is it really to advance the course of the party or personal interests?
“If it is personal interests, move away from that person. Our conduct will determine the sustainability of the Swapo Party,” he said.
Nekundi vs Kalomoh
In 2011, Nekundi – then the Swapo Party Youth League secretary for economic affairs – collectively paid former ambassador Tuliameni Kalomoh N$30 000 in damages and close to N$87 000 in legal costs after he made 'unfounded and false' claims against the diplomat.
He also apologised to then foreign affairs permanent secretary Veiccoh Nghiwete for the same remarks – which was that the two diplomats met a German ambassador to Namibia at the time and discussed “strategies to cause national destruction and confusion”. He made the remarks at a youth league press conference in 2009.
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