SWAPO set to win Okahandja
By Asser Ntinda

SWAPO Party has mobilized enough financial and human resources to ensure that it wins a by-election due to be held in Okahandja Constituency in Otjozondjupa Region next month. The vacancy came about following the death of the Councilor for Okahandja Constituency, Cde Theofellus Eiseb, last year.

The Party has appealed to all its members in that Constituency who have not yet registered to do so and give SWAPO Party a landslide win. SWAPO Party held its first rally in Okahandja last weekend, which heralded in the start of the election campaign. The rally was well attended. The stadium was packed to capacity, the majority of those in attendance being the youth, singing, dancing and prancing to the hot lyrics of Ndilimani Cultural Troupe.

The election will be held on February 24, 2010. Speakers after speakers at last weekend’s rally were all confident that SWAPO Party’s victory was guaranteed, now that there were divisions within the opposition parties on how to field their candidates.

“Shame on them,” said SWAPO Party Youth League Secretary, Dr Elijah Ngurare. “They cannot even agree on a candidate! Three opposition parties have agreed to endorse a candidate for the Rally for Democracy and Progress, RDP.

“She is Christofina Paulus, the disgraced former mayor of Okahandja. You kicked her out because she was incompetent. She was just messing up things. She is now coming back to you again through a hopeless political project.

“Say no to her. The youth, the born-frees, our mothers, our fathers, grand mothers and grand fathers, everybody, stand up and go and vote for a SWAPO Party candidate.”

The non-nonsense Jerry Ekandjo, who was the main speaker, minced no words and ridiculed the three opposition parties which had agreed to endorse the RDP candidate.

These are the All People’s Party, APP, the National Unity Democratic Party, Nudo, and the Republican Party, RP.

“What will now happen to your manifestos? Will you throw them away? What will you tell your members and follows. What happens to your principles which you claim to hold so dear? Nudo! What will happen to ‘nana?”

‘Nana is Nudo’s slogan. “Coalition or no coalition, SWAPO Party will win hands down. Members of these opposition parties have been manipulated into a dead-end by RDP. For the RDP controlled opposition, you have been let down by your leaders.

“They are now telling you at the last minute to vote for an RDP candidate. Why can’t you put up your won candidate? Why an RDP candidate? Whether you band together or not, SWAPO party will emerge victorious. There is no doubt about that.”

SWAPO Party controls six of the seven constituencies that make up Otjozondjupa Region. These are Grootfontein, Omatako, Otjiwarongo, Otavi, Tsumkwe and Okahandja. Okakarara is under Nudo. “SWAPO Party will stand alone,” remarked SWAPO Party activist, Computer Maize at the rally. “We will defeat them. The RDP controlled opposition, are you now throwing away your manifestos and adopting the manifesto of RDP?”

A SWAPO Party candidate will be known today, Friday, at nine o’clock in the morning in Okahandja. The Party has short-listed three candidates for vetting. These are Cdes Steve ‘Biko Boois, SWAPO Party activist; Valerie Aaron, SPYL District Coordinator and Martin Benhard, SWAPO Party Okahandja District Coordinator.

Leader of the National Leaders assigned to Otjozondjupa Region, Cde Immanuel Ngatjizeko, who is also Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, has firmly shot down recent media speculations that SWAPO Party was split in Okahandja.

The media reports alleged that “frustrated party members” were planning to put up an “independent” candidate “of their own to contest” the by-election, allegedly because those “shortlisted” were “not properly nominated.”

Said Cde Ngatjizeko: “There is nothing like that. There is no split. All the procedures were followed. Nominations were properly done and all the requirements were met. What are they talking about? SWAPO Party does not allow independent candidates.

“The moment a person does that, you automatically kick yourself out of SWAPO Party. There is one Ben Katamila who is spreading lies about procedures not having been followed properly. These are lies. SWAPO Party is united. We will win Okahandja Constituency.”