Swapo misses the mark

… ruling party implements 22% of 2017 congress resolutions

Only 22% of the resolutions taken at the 2017 sixth congress of Swapo have been fully implemented, a report by the party’s think tank shows.

The report, seen by New Era, was tabled for scrutiny at the just-ended seventh ordinary congress.

It also shows that the implementation of 18% of the resolutions has not started, while 60% has been described as “ongoing”.

This is all while the seventh congress – which is the highest decision-making body of the ruling party – took resolutions of its own, also to be implemented over the next five years.

Standing head and shoulders among the unimplemented resolutions is the removal of the controversial veterinary cordon fence (VCF), which is known as the red line.

“Removal of the veterinary cordon fence is considered [to have] a potential to cost the beef industry, which is estimated to be valued at more than N$7 billion per annum.

“Beef produced north of the cordon fence has access to markets in South Africa, China and other African countries through commodity-based trade agreement,” reads the report.

Back in November 2017, that congress resolved to direct the government to intensify its efforts to shift the red line to the border between Namibia and Angola by 2022.

However, it is yet to move an inch, despite widespread outcry from farmers and Namibians finding themselves north of the VCF, who feel left out from the country’s lucrative beef market or to even transport meat products for household consumption areas south of the line.

At the moment, Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda is in court, trying to compel government to remove the red line.

In the case, Amupanda faces an uphill battle against land reform minister Calle Schlettwein, the government, attorney general Festus Mbandeka, an official from the directorate of veterinary services Hango Nambinga and the Meat Board of Namibia who have enlisted instructed counsel in addition to two instructing firms.

The VCF is a border between the north and south, which is used as an animal disease control mechanism.

Its critics, including Amupanda, see it as draconian, divisive, repugnant and that it serves colonial interests.

Succession

The succession in Swapo, particularly during the final term of a sitting head of state, has become a thorn in the ruling party’s flesh.

It was even worse this year when President Hage Geingob refused to anoint his successor, moving away from a long-held party tradition.

In 2017, the Swapo congress directed the party’s politburo to develop and implement a succession policy.

“No work has commenced on the succession policy,” Swapo Think Tank member Hallo Angula found.

The politburo was also directed to develop guidelines to identify and groom potential leaders at different levels within Swapo.

Again, no work has been done in this regard.

At the just-ended congress, Geingob retained his position as party president unchallenged, while vice president Netumbo NandiNdaitwah beat off competitors Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta to retain the vice presidency.

Meanwhile, Sophia Shaningwa defended the engine room (secretary general position) against Swapo’s ambitious Oshikoto coordinator Armas Amukwiyu.

The position of deputy secretary general saw former tourism minister Uahekua Herunga emerge the winner, beating the party’s Kavango West coordinator David Hamutenya and parliamentarian Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele.

Nawases-Taeyele lost out primarily due to the party’s 50-50 gender balance policy, which she is currently challenging.

Another parliamentarian Lucia Witbooi pulled out late in the race, citing a “crowded field”.