LPM duo to appear before privileges committee on 20 July
WINDHOEK – Landless People’s Movement (LPM) leaders Bernadus Swartbooi and Henny Seibeb have been summoned to appear before the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges on 20 July 2021 over their conduct which saw Parliament descend into chaos during the State of the Nation address.
Summons seen by Nampa, dated 9 July 2021, were addressed to LPM’s chief change campaigner Swartbooi by National Assembly (NA) secretary Lydia Kandetu.
The order stems from an incident on 26 April 2021, where the decorum of the assembly went through the window during a joint sitting where President Hage Geingob delivered his State of the Nation Address, which led to Swartbooi and Seibeb’s ejection.
“Pursuant to the summons to appear before the Committee of Privileges issued to you on 7 May 2021, we hereby kindly request your appearance in person before the Committee of Privileges for the purpose of the investigation referred to on 20 July 2021,” Kandetu says in the summons.
She goes on to say, “In addition to the evidence provided to you on 18 May 2021, please find attached hereto statements of the following witnesses who will appear before the Committee of Privileges for the purposes of the investigation.”
The witnesses are Swapo and Popular Democratic Movement chief whips in the NA, Hambyuka Hamunyera and Vipuakuje Muharukua, Geingob’s head of security Johan Ndjaronguru, and Gideon Shuuya, the deputy director of security and risk management at Parliament.
On Friday, LPM’s Duminga Ndala told
Nampa the party was still studying the contents of the document for it to chart a way forward. “We will consult with our lawyers first. We just received the letters. We are internalising the content of the letter and those who are selected as witnesses,” the LPM youth wing leader said.