Venaani denies exclusion of Kavango, Zambezi members
‘We will not be used any more’
Venaani said members that were not included on the parliamentary list did not lobby hard enough for votes.
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani has dismissed rumours suggesting that his party has excluded members from the Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi regions from its parliamentary list.
His remarks come in the wake of members from these regions expressing their dissatisfaction with the list, saying they are unhappy with Venaani's parliamentary choices.
"We want Venaani to explain why they come here every week, acknowledging that Kavangos are reliable voters, but refuse to place them in positions of responsibility. Are the Kavangos insignificant? Kavango East has only three representatives, and there’s nothing from Katima Mulilo and Kavango West. Yet, Venaani's team is always here, handing out fish and buying food, but they won't give us positions of power," a concerned PDM member, who chose to remain anonymous, told Namibian Sun on Wednesday.
"We will not be used any more. Kavangos will stand together. We know our people who have worked for him for years, and he did not even consider them. He must know we are watching him," she added.
Lobby for votes
Venaani refuted these claims, saying: "It’s not true that the Kavango people were not voted in".
He emphasised that the central committee of the party is an elective body.
"Either you contest and get votes, or you don’t. If you haven’t lobbied other regions, you won’t be voted in. People shouldn't blame others. It's not just Kavango, the Hardap Region is also complaining that they have only one representative. It's all about how you lobby," he said.
"This is an election. Unless you're suggesting appointments instead of elections, the process is straightforward. Positions are filled through elections, and that's the fundamental principle. We’ve made contributions to ensure that even if you’re not elected, there are automatic positions to ensure regional representation," the PDM head explained.
Venaani added that no region would be left unrepresented in the central committee, as all regional coordinators are directly appointed. "These coordinators are not even elected, so every region will have representation. The contestation is only for 40 positions plus 10 alternate numbers,” he said.
‘We’re learning’
The official opposition president added that they’re “learning from the process”.
“Every congress, we remind regions that they must engage with others. Don’t assume that others will automatically vote for you just because you’re from a certain region. You must lobby other regions to gain more votes,” he said.
Venaani also pointed out that the Kavango regions have representation in the top eight or nine positions within the party, including the role of treasurer.
"We’ve accommodated Kavango, but it's an election - you have to win it. It's not about excluding people. We’ve never played that role," he said.
According to him, there had been talk about there being too many Herero people in the central committee. “Out of 40 people, fewer than 10 are Herero in the central committee. So how can anyone say one group dominates over another? Over the years, I've ensured that everyone has a seat at the table.”
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His remarks come in the wake of members from these regions expressing their dissatisfaction with the list, saying they are unhappy with Venaani's parliamentary choices.
"We want Venaani to explain why they come here every week, acknowledging that Kavangos are reliable voters, but refuse to place them in positions of responsibility. Are the Kavangos insignificant? Kavango East has only three representatives, and there’s nothing from Katima Mulilo and Kavango West. Yet, Venaani's team is always here, handing out fish and buying food, but they won't give us positions of power," a concerned PDM member, who chose to remain anonymous, told Namibian Sun on Wednesday.
"We will not be used any more. Kavangos will stand together. We know our people who have worked for him for years, and he did not even consider them. He must know we are watching him," she added.
Lobby for votes
Venaani refuted these claims, saying: "It’s not true that the Kavango people were not voted in".
He emphasised that the central committee of the party is an elective body.
"Either you contest and get votes, or you don’t. If you haven’t lobbied other regions, you won’t be voted in. People shouldn't blame others. It's not just Kavango, the Hardap Region is also complaining that they have only one representative. It's all about how you lobby," he said.
"This is an election. Unless you're suggesting appointments instead of elections, the process is straightforward. Positions are filled through elections, and that's the fundamental principle. We’ve made contributions to ensure that even if you’re not elected, there are automatic positions to ensure regional representation," the PDM head explained.
Venaani added that no region would be left unrepresented in the central committee, as all regional coordinators are directly appointed. "These coordinators are not even elected, so every region will have representation. The contestation is only for 40 positions plus 10 alternate numbers,” he said.
‘We’re learning’
The official opposition president added that they’re “learning from the process”.
“Every congress, we remind regions that they must engage with others. Don’t assume that others will automatically vote for you just because you’re from a certain region. You must lobby other regions to gain more votes,” he said.
Venaani also pointed out that the Kavango regions have representation in the top eight or nine positions within the party, including the role of treasurer.
"We’ve accommodated Kavango, but it's an election - you have to win it. It's not about excluding people. We’ve never played that role," he said.
According to him, there had been talk about there being too many Herero people in the central committee. “Out of 40 people, fewer than 10 are Herero in the central committee. So how can anyone say one group dominates over another? Over the years, I've ensured that everyone has a seat at the table.”
[email protected]
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