Swapo mum on blacklist

Swapo mum on blacklistTargeted members hit back The Politburo of the ruling party says it is concerned over “mushrooming of movements by bona fide members”. A special Swapo Politburo meeting on Monday decided to take disciplinary steps against some party members, who it said “continued to violate the [party] constitution with impunity and yet continue to regard themselves as Swapo members”.

At a press conference yesterday, party secretary-general Nangolo Mbumba would not divulge any names before written notices of the disciplinary procedures were issued to those involved. He also would not say how many would be disciplined.

Mbumba said the alleged errant members would be charged in due course. The party's secretary for information, Helmut Angula, added that disciplinary measures would be instituted against those who were “deliberately” using their party membership to “insult” party leaders and members.

The 26-member Politburo further expressed concern “over mushrooming formation of movements by bona fide members of the party and the subsequent blatant and continued disrespect towards the leadership of the party and of the country”.

Monday's meeting resolved to enforce provisions, rules and procedures of the party's constitution and code of conduct, “so that no stone is left unturned in ensuring that whoever makes himself or herself guilty of such misconduct” is dealt with.

The disciplinary committee will consist of six or seven members and will be chaired by the former secretary-general, Ngarikutuke Tjiriange.

Although no names were given, it seems clear that steps are to be taken against those associated with the Landless People's Movement (LPM), such as ousted deputy minister of land reform Bernadus Swartbooi, Henny Seibeb, and Member of Parliament Ida Hoffmann.





Elsewhere it was also suggested that disciplinary steps might be taken against former MP Kazenambo Kazenambo, as well as Affirmative Repositioning (AR) leader Job Amupanda and former youth league secretary Elijah Ngurare.

Seibeb yesterday said he knew nothing about disciplinary action.

Kazenambo, who is a member of the Politburo, said he had never been charged with a crime and couldn't be labelled as a rebel because he had never participated in a rebellion inside or outside the country.

Amupanda said the impending disciplinary process was an attempt to side-line those who had indicated that they had leadership aspirations.

Amupanda recently indicated that he was willing to stand as a candidate for the position of secretary-general at the party congress in November.



Mbumba said it was “outrageous” to suggest that members of the Politburo misused their power to institute some kind of witch-hunt.



He said the Politburo had spent hours deliberating on issues in the interest of the party, its members and the nation at large.



He also took exception to a question which suggested that the top four in Swapo – President Hage Geingob, Mbumba, Laura McLeod-Katjirua and former president Hifikepunye Pohamba – were applying double standards since they had been found to have non-procedurally suspended three AR leaders.



ECONOMY



The Politburo also discussed the country's economic downturn and resolved to implore the government to prepare mitigating measures to overcome its effects and to intensify job creation to fight unemployment among the youth.



It urged the government to increase support to small-scale farmers to enable them to increase their production and thereby increase job opportunities and food security.

CATHERINE SASMAN