The battle for Okahandja

By Levi Upula

SWAPO’s Booys set to win by-election

As the countdown to this month’s by-election in Okahandja Constituency draws near, SWAPO Party is in no doubt about its election victory.

Two star rallies which SWAPO Party has held so far over the past two weeks indicate that the Party is headed for a landslide victory, even if opposition parties combine and support one candidate.

“Here we mean business,” said Cde Immanuel Ngatjizeko, Leader of the National Leaders assigned to Otjozondjupa Region, before he introduced SWAPO Party Secretary General, Cde Pendukeni Iivula- Ithana.

“We will defeat them all. They know that they can’t defeat SWAPO Party. We are the people and the people are SWAPO. I urge all of you to come out in your thousands to go and cast your votes on February 24, 2010. Vote for SWAPO Party. Vote for Cde Booys”

The Stadium where the star rally was held was full to capacity. People, dressed in the SWAPO Party colours cheered, danced and pranced around the soccer field, singing liberation songs and chanting SWAPO Party slogans.

As the Secretary General was being introduced, the lyrics of Ndilimani had everybody on their feet, moving forward and backward, with their popular SWAPO Party handclenched fists high up.

Cde Iivula-Ithana told the cheering crowd there was nothing opposition parties could do to prevent a SWAPO Party victory because the Party was the most popular party in the country because of its track record.

“Our achievements speak for themselves,” she said, holding Cde Steve Biko Booys by the hand. “In SWAPO Party we implement what we have promised. In opposition parties, they just talk, talk and talk.

“We only have one candidate for the by-election who will implement the SWAPO Party government programmes and projects. That is Cde Booys. This is your candidate. Cde Booys will be your councilor, come February 24. Go out and vote for Cde Booys.”

Cde Iivula-Ithana lashed out at Ben Katamila, a former SWAPO party member who was expelled from the Party last week for defying Party instructions not to stand for the byelection. He is now standing as an independent candidate.

“We are a disciplined organization,” she told the cheering crowd. “Where was Katamila? Now, he wants to stand as an independent candidate! We expelled him from SWAPO Party with immediate effect.

He joins others in the dustbin of history, following the likes of Andreas Shipanga, Hidipo Hamutenya, Ben Ulenga, Mishake Muyongo and others.

“Look at Hidipo sharing a platform with UNITA, which has killed and maimed many Angolans and Namibians? He is in the dustbin of history. Katamila will follow them in there. We will teach them a lesson. I urge all the people of Okahandja to go out and vote for a SWAPO Party candidate.

“You all know this reactionaries called Kristophina Paulus (RDP candidate) and Katamila.

“You have seen the mess she has created in Okahandja when she was your Mayor. We expelled her from SWAPO Party because of the dirty work she was carrying out in Okahandja.

“Now she comes back to you asking for your votes! What a joke! Reject them when the election comes. Vote for a SWAPO Party candidate, the Party with a proud history.”

On the court challenge, the Secretary General said that the nine opposition parties which were challenging the outcome of last year’s National Assembly and Presidential Elections were doing so confuse the people.

She added that if the High Court orders a recount, the possibility of SWAPO Party gaining two more seats was high as there were 10,000 spoiled ballots in its favour and more than 8000 votes distributed to other smaller parties.

SWAPO Party activist, Cde Marten Benhard called on all hibernators to leave SWAPO Party and join their political projects, saying that SWAPO Party would be content with those who were loyal to its aims and objectives.

“Be informed that we know you,” he said. “Don’t try to cover yourself in sheep’s skin, feel free to come out and show us where you belong. I must make it clear that here in Okahandja, we do not want people who are SWAPO during the day and during the night they become the so-called opposition parties.

“Let us join hands and unite. We have to ensure that come the 24 February 2010, we all have to go straight to the booth and vote SWAPO Party. I know that we always vote for SWAPO Party and there is no secret about this.”

SWAPO Party controls six of the seven constituencies that form Okahandja Region. These are Grootfontein, Omatako, Otjiwarongo, Otavi, Tsumkwe and Okahandja. Okakarara is under NUDO. The by-election was necessitated by the death of the late former SWAPO Party councilor, Cde Teofelus Eiseb, who passed away late last year.