Calle loses Swapo nomination slot

Calle loses Swapo nomination slot Finance minister Calle Schlettwein is unlikely to be a delegate to the Swapo congress scheduled for November.

Schlettwein was awarded a nomination slot to represent the Khomas Region through its Katutura East district last month, but this move appeared to have backfired as it was deemed unconstitutional because he does not belong to any Swapo branch in Katutura.

In terms of the Swapo constitution, the district conference elects four delegates to the congress from its executive, while it also elects four other delegates to the regional conference.

The regional conference elects 10 delegates from its executive to the congress, including four candidates for the Central Committee.

Both Swapo regional coordinator for Khomas Elliot Mbako and the party's secretary-general, Nangolo Mbumba, confirmed yesterday that Schlettwein would not be one of the four delegates representing Katutura East.

According to an earlier delegates list seen by Namibian Sun, Schlettwein replaced Erwin Paulino, who had been nominated as one of the delegates to the congress. According to Mbako, the issue was rectified and Paulino retained his post as a delegate to the congress.

The other nominated delegates are Johanna Henock, Alma Otto and Ruben Sheehama.

“The situation in Katutura East is that the person going to congress is still Paulino, not Schlettwein,” Mbako said.

Mbumba also commented on the issue, saying party members from the district in question would indeed represent Swapo at the congress.

“Maybe it was something they were discussing at a district and regional level and they resolved it themselves as it never came to us,” Mbumba said.





Prior to the last Swapo congress in 2012, Schlettwein was nominated by Otjozondjupa Region as a delegate to the congress.



Last month Schlettwein defended his nomination on social media, saying it was done through a legitimate process.



“My nomination to congress by the Khomas Region through Katutura East involved no bribes, no brown envelopes, only a sober discussion,” he said on Twitter.



“Without a shred of evidence some allege corruption during a legitimate nomination process. How low do we stoop?” Schlettwein declined to comment yesterday, and instead referred the reporter to the regional coordinator.