Swapo halts CC vote recount
Baptism of fire for Kaumbi
Allegations of vote rigging have rocked the ruling party's congress.
There is consternation within the ruling party’s ranks over the disputed outcome of the central committee elections, which saw several big names failing to make the nod on a list dominated by “many unknowns”.
There have since been calls to nullify the elections, however, presiding officer Joshua Kaumbi and his electoral team settled on a vote recount, a decision whose legality is now a hot topic within the party.
Kaumbi made his debut as the party’s presiding officer last weekend after replacing Sisa Namandje, who held that position since the 2004 congress.
Those who fell by the wayside allege that the process to recount votes was arbitrary, as it has not been endorsed by the appropriate party structures.
Technicalities have also gripped the process, with some saying Kaumbi’s role as presiding officer technically ended after congress came to a close on Monday.
“Who sanctioned this recount? Because as far as we know, the central committee - which is the highest decision-making body between congresses - did not sit to discuss this matter,” a delegate told Namibian Sun.
Petty
Those in support of the new central committee composition feel critics of the elections are being petty.
A Swapo insider said: “Many of those complaining because they lost out are pro-Netumbo. The fact that they are only questioning the central committee outcome and not the outcome of the vice-president, secretary-general and deputy secretary-general positions clearly shows their disingenuous way of doing things.
“If central committee votes must be recounted, then so be it for the top positions [too].”
With most of the big names who lost out forming part of vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s camp, claims of a political purge have surfaced. There are also talks that the new central committee is dominated by individuals who are seen to be anti-Netumbo.
Out in the cold
Some of the prominent names missing from the final list include those of ministers, deputy ministers and several governors.
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and education minister Anna Nghipondoka did not make the cut, while deputy ministers Anna Shiweda (agriculture), Kornelia Shilunga (mines), Jenelly Matundu (international relations), Verna Sinimbo (trade) and Hilma Nikanor (defence) were also left out in the cold.
Governors who did not garner enough votes include James Uerikua (Otjozondjupa), Laura McLeod-Katjirua (Khomas) and Marius Sheya (Kunene).
Swapo backbencher Lucia Witbooi, initially a candidate for deputy secretary-general before she threw in the towel at the eleventh hour, also failed to retain her spot on the central committee.
Some of these individuals will now pray that Geingob includes them in his list of 10 appointees to the committee.
Losing out on a spot in the powerful Swapo central committee has far-reaching ramifications for party members. It means they will not be eligible to attend Swapo’s electoral college in 2024, where party members contest for a spot on the parliamentary list. It is from this list which Nandi-Ndaitwah will draw members for her Cabinet - should she win the 2024 presidential election.
Big blow
Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) national executive committee member Willem Amutenya, who managed to make it into the central committee over the weekend, said those who are aggrieved are merely exercising their rights within the party, but he cautioned that their actions must be within the rules of the party.
“I cannot comment on the process because I did what was expected of me as a delegate and a candidate,” he said.
Asser Ntinda - the former editor of Namibia Today, the ruling party’s former newspaper - said the election outcome at congress is a big blow to Geingob because “the fact that Nandi-Ndaitwah and Shaningwa retained their positions, despite Geingob not backing them, is a strong statement”.
“The few faces that are left in will most likely change course and move on to Nandi-Ndaitwah, largely because she is assuming power now, whereas Geingob is on his way out. They will certainly move on to Nandi-Ndaitwah's camp for survival purposes,” he said.
However, Ntinda added that Geingob still has an advantage because he can still bring back his lost loyalists by including them in the 10 he appoints to the central committee.
Slates ‘disintegrate’
There are several factors that can explain the shifts that saw senior cadres left out in the cold, Ntinda said, adding: “One is the disintegration of Team Harambee, which was weaved into the slate Geingob introduced in 2017. Geingob has lost control over that slate”.
“Many people in Team Harambee did not know much about the Fishrot corruption scandal and how deeply some senior leaders were implicated. High Court documents - as presented by the Anti-Corruption Commission [ACC] and other State witnesses - have removed the lid on how the Fishrot money was used to bankroll Swapo campaign activities.
“These revelations have left several leaders, like Nandi-Ndaitwah and Shaningwa, embarrassed as they had to defend things they didn't know,” he said.
There have since been calls to nullify the elections, however, presiding officer Joshua Kaumbi and his electoral team settled on a vote recount, a decision whose legality is now a hot topic within the party.
Kaumbi made his debut as the party’s presiding officer last weekend after replacing Sisa Namandje, who held that position since the 2004 congress.
Those who fell by the wayside allege that the process to recount votes was arbitrary, as it has not been endorsed by the appropriate party structures.
Technicalities have also gripped the process, with some saying Kaumbi’s role as presiding officer technically ended after congress came to a close on Monday.
“Who sanctioned this recount? Because as far as we know, the central committee - which is the highest decision-making body between congresses - did not sit to discuss this matter,” a delegate told Namibian Sun.
Petty
Those in support of the new central committee composition feel critics of the elections are being petty.
A Swapo insider said: “Many of those complaining because they lost out are pro-Netumbo. The fact that they are only questioning the central committee outcome and not the outcome of the vice-president, secretary-general and deputy secretary-general positions clearly shows their disingenuous way of doing things.
“If central committee votes must be recounted, then so be it for the top positions [too].”
With most of the big names who lost out forming part of vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s camp, claims of a political purge have surfaced. There are also talks that the new central committee is dominated by individuals who are seen to be anti-Netumbo.
Out in the cold
Some of the prominent names missing from the final list include those of ministers, deputy ministers and several governors.
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and education minister Anna Nghipondoka did not make the cut, while deputy ministers Anna Shiweda (agriculture), Kornelia Shilunga (mines), Jenelly Matundu (international relations), Verna Sinimbo (trade) and Hilma Nikanor (defence) were also left out in the cold.
Governors who did not garner enough votes include James Uerikua (Otjozondjupa), Laura McLeod-Katjirua (Khomas) and Marius Sheya (Kunene).
Swapo backbencher Lucia Witbooi, initially a candidate for deputy secretary-general before she threw in the towel at the eleventh hour, also failed to retain her spot on the central committee.
Some of these individuals will now pray that Geingob includes them in his list of 10 appointees to the committee.
Losing out on a spot in the powerful Swapo central committee has far-reaching ramifications for party members. It means they will not be eligible to attend Swapo’s electoral college in 2024, where party members contest for a spot on the parliamentary list. It is from this list which Nandi-Ndaitwah will draw members for her Cabinet - should she win the 2024 presidential election.
Big blow
Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) national executive committee member Willem Amutenya, who managed to make it into the central committee over the weekend, said those who are aggrieved are merely exercising their rights within the party, but he cautioned that their actions must be within the rules of the party.
“I cannot comment on the process because I did what was expected of me as a delegate and a candidate,” he said.
Asser Ntinda - the former editor of Namibia Today, the ruling party’s former newspaper - said the election outcome at congress is a big blow to Geingob because “the fact that Nandi-Ndaitwah and Shaningwa retained their positions, despite Geingob not backing them, is a strong statement”.
“The few faces that are left in will most likely change course and move on to Nandi-Ndaitwah, largely because she is assuming power now, whereas Geingob is on his way out. They will certainly move on to Nandi-Ndaitwah's camp for survival purposes,” he said.
However, Ntinda added that Geingob still has an advantage because he can still bring back his lost loyalists by including them in the 10 he appoints to the central committee.
Slates ‘disintegrate’
There are several factors that can explain the shifts that saw senior cadres left out in the cold, Ntinda said, adding: “One is the disintegration of Team Harambee, which was weaved into the slate Geingob introduced in 2017. Geingob has lost control over that slate”.
“Many people in Team Harambee did not know much about the Fishrot corruption scandal and how deeply some senior leaders were implicated. High Court documents - as presented by the Anti-Corruption Commission [ACC] and other State witnesses - have removed the lid on how the Fishrot money was used to bankroll Swapo campaign activities.
“These revelations have left several leaders, like Nandi-Ndaitwah and Shaningwa, embarrassed as they had to defend things they didn't know,” he said.
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