Venaani dismisses Swapo crowds as music lovers
Thousands turn up for Swapo’s Kunene rally
Some commentators say live music performances and food packs are key to Swapo's large rally crowds, but the ruling party is unfazed by the accusations.
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani says people flock to Swapo rallies primarily to watch live music performances rather than to listen to the ruling party’s presidential candidate, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, deliver her campaign messages.
Venaani made this comment on Sunday when asked whether the huge crowd thronging Saturday’s Swapo rally in Opuwo, a traditional stronghold of PDM, signalled a threat to the hegemony of the official opposition party in the area.
Nandi-Ndaitwah was the keynote speaker at the event, which featured performances by top Namibian musicians.
With the 27 November presidential and National Assembly elections looming, Swapo has been attracting large crowds to rallies, with Saturday’s event reminiscent of scenes in Walvis Bay the previous weekend, as well as at the recent launch of the party manifesto in Windhoek.
The manifesto launch was graced by top South African performing artists, including house music superstar Master KG.
“[They go] because Swapo is having music. People are going there to go and listen to artists. They are not going there to listen to Netumbo,” Venaani argued.
Some analysts have also suggested that many people attend the party’s rallies for food amid a rising hunger crisis.
The battle for Kunene
Nandi-Ndaitwah appealed to the electorate in the Kunene Region over the weekend to vote for the ruling party in the upcoming elections.
She made this call while discussing plans for a shrine to be constructed to preserve the region's history.
“Comrades, who is going to take care of this shrine? It must be taken care of by the Swapo Party. And that's why we must make sure that this region comes back in its rightful hands to be administrated and governed by the Swapo Party so that our history can be properly recorded,” she said.
Voter numbers
During the event, Swapo claimed that over 1 000 voters had defected from their political parties to join the ruling party, a claim that Venaani dismissed.
“First and foremost, let me tell Nandi-Ndaitwah that she can soothe and try to fool her ego. Swapo will never receive even 500 people in Kunene,” Venaani said.
“They are in need of those people. For you to trump PDM in Kunene, you need to have more than 5 500", he added.
“If Swapo gets 60 members, they would call a press conference at their headquarters here. Why would they defect 1 000 people and not show them, literally, that these are the people that we are talking about? It's a bloody lie.”
Failing the country
Venaani said PDM will continue to govern Kunene, arguing: “They will never get Kunene. Sam Nujoma has tried it, Hifikepunye Pohamba tried it, the late Hage Geingob tried it – and he was more charismatic than her – but failed. She will also fail.”
He added that most challenges faced in Kunene need to be addressed by the central government, which Swapo has led since independence 34 years ago.
“Swapo has failed to develop that region. To build bridges, we need central government. To build roads, we need central government. To build boreholes, we need central government. To build clinics, we need central government. It's the central government that has been failing that region like they are failing the rest of the country, and that is why 1.4 million people are in poverty in this country,” Venaani said.
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Venaani made this comment on Sunday when asked whether the huge crowd thronging Saturday’s Swapo rally in Opuwo, a traditional stronghold of PDM, signalled a threat to the hegemony of the official opposition party in the area.
Nandi-Ndaitwah was the keynote speaker at the event, which featured performances by top Namibian musicians.
With the 27 November presidential and National Assembly elections looming, Swapo has been attracting large crowds to rallies, with Saturday’s event reminiscent of scenes in Walvis Bay the previous weekend, as well as at the recent launch of the party manifesto in Windhoek.
The manifesto launch was graced by top South African performing artists, including house music superstar Master KG.
“[They go] because Swapo is having music. People are going there to go and listen to artists. They are not going there to listen to Netumbo,” Venaani argued.
Some analysts have also suggested that many people attend the party’s rallies for food amid a rising hunger crisis.
The battle for Kunene
Nandi-Ndaitwah appealed to the electorate in the Kunene Region over the weekend to vote for the ruling party in the upcoming elections.
She made this call while discussing plans for a shrine to be constructed to preserve the region's history.
“Comrades, who is going to take care of this shrine? It must be taken care of by the Swapo Party. And that's why we must make sure that this region comes back in its rightful hands to be administrated and governed by the Swapo Party so that our history can be properly recorded,” she said.
Voter numbers
During the event, Swapo claimed that over 1 000 voters had defected from their political parties to join the ruling party, a claim that Venaani dismissed.
“First and foremost, let me tell Nandi-Ndaitwah that she can soothe and try to fool her ego. Swapo will never receive even 500 people in Kunene,” Venaani said.
“They are in need of those people. For you to trump PDM in Kunene, you need to have more than 5 500", he added.
“If Swapo gets 60 members, they would call a press conference at their headquarters here. Why would they defect 1 000 people and not show them, literally, that these are the people that we are talking about? It's a bloody lie.”
Failing the country
Venaani said PDM will continue to govern Kunene, arguing: “They will never get Kunene. Sam Nujoma has tried it, Hifikepunye Pohamba tried it, the late Hage Geingob tried it – and he was more charismatic than her – but failed. She will also fail.”
He added that most challenges faced in Kunene need to be addressed by the central government, which Swapo has led since independence 34 years ago.
“Swapo has failed to develop that region. To build bridges, we need central government. To build roads, we need central government. To build boreholes, we need central government. To build clinics, we need central government. It's the central government that has been failing that region like they are failing the rest of the country, and that is why 1.4 million people are in poverty in this country,” Venaani said.
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