PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba has challenged Swapo Party members who
don't want him to stand for another presidential term to tell him so to
his face.Addressing a marathon Politburo meeting over the weekend, a furious Pohamba is said to have taken the bull by the horns, and told the party's top brass that he's had enough of infighting and behind-the-scenes attempts by some to oust him from the Party leadership.
He was ready to step aside if told so directly, he cautioned.
Well-placed sources said Pohamba used the platform to announce that he will use his powers as party president to start suspending some ill-disciplined members.
For starters, he has ordered that the party machinery come up with a Swapo Party code of conduct within 30 days so that disciplinary measures can be applied where needed.
Reportedly naming several youth leaders as people said to hate him, Pohamba is claimed to have alleged that some youngsters could be former Koevoets, foreigners and infiltrated the party from the DTA.
Pohamba's forceful showing reportedly surprised at least some senior members of the party, who felt he used the wrong platform to attack the youth, who were not present to defend themselves.
It was very un-Pohamba. We were quite surprised, especially since we had the opportunity last year to interact with the Swapo Party Youth League during a fruitful meeting, said one minister.
The names that reportedly cropped up several times during Pohamba's unexpected broadside were Elijah Ngurare and Veikko Nekundi of the SPYL, Swapo regional co-ordinator for Oshikoto Armas Amukwiyu and Secretary General of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) Evilastus Kaaronda.
He told us that our youth are completely different to the Tanga group (founder members) and that they have been infiltrated by DTA youth, foreigners and former Koevoets. That was quite a statement coming from him, according to one senior member of the party.
Pohamba reportedly also claimed that some youth leaders were brainwashed at foreign universities by known professors to undermine leaders like him.
According to sources, Pohamba also lashed out at SPYL's involvement in the labour dispute at TransNamib.
The Swapo Party Youth League was not needed when a dispute arose at TransNamib but they conspired with the NUNW to undermine me, Pohamba is claimed to have said.
The Head of State was apparently also unhappy with the way the plight of the children of the struggle' was handled and used the opportunity to openly attack the Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Willem Konjore, for allegedly failing to solve the long-running problem.
Sources said Pohamba told them that he had asked Konjore to provide him with a report on the struggle children' who had demanded jobs and education last year and camped in front of the Veterans' Affairs Ministry for several weeks.
Konjore allegedly did not provide the report and allegedly said he would compile one at some stage for tabling in Cabinet.
Pohamba was apparently also angry about the Swapo Party Youth League's decision to move the struggle children' to a farm belonging to the party just outside Windhoek.
This was done behind my back, Pohamba is said to have underlined on Friday.
One Politburo member said they were aware that the SPYL had found jobs for some of the struggle children but Pohamba had not even mentioned the good they did.
It was the first time that Pohamba has dealt so openly with those reportedly seeking to undermine his authority.
The 21-member Politburo met from 17h00 on Friday until around 03h30 the next day.
The internal divisions in Swapo revolve around the next candidate to run for this year's presidential elections, which has been gaining momentum over the past few months.
Pohamba was officially endorsed as Swapo's presidential candidate at the December 2007 Swapo Party congress.
In the past 15 months, however, some members are said to have shifted the focus to Swapo Vice President Hage Geingob as their candidate, while the name of Swapo Information Secretary Jerry Ekandjo also surfaced.
Pohamba reportedly said that he is seen as weak when he consults Government officials and Swapo leaders.
If I don't consult I am (criticised as being) undemocratic, Pohamba was quoted as saying by insiders.
If people don't want me (to run for a second presidential term), they must tell me (to my face) and I will go, Pohamba allegedly said.
Swapo is expected to hold a media briefing today to announce some of the resolutions taken at the Politburo meeting.
The Namibian
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