Martin Endjala
The Zambezi Region will be a hive of political activity this weekend as the internal campaign of candidates for the top three positions of the Swapo Party moves to the north-eastern region.
The candidates will be laying out their plans to the delegates in the hope of securing their votes at the November congress of the party.
Some of the candidates were seen visiting traditional leaders in the Zambezi Region on Thursday and were also busy meeting candidates and organising government events in line with their portfolios before the main event on Saturday.
All three Vice President candidates visited traditional leaders as well as other government institutions that fall under their ambit of responsibility. Saara Kuukongelwa-Amadhila was captured distributing gifts to various traditional leaders in the region. She also addressed a well-attended Zambezi Regional Council meeting with all the constituency councillors, where according to posts by her supporters, the platform was used for ‘’robust engagement on governance with the Office of the Prime Minister on issues affecting the region’’.
Environment Minister and VP hopeful, Pohamba Shifeta was greeted by a group of supporters spotting T-shirts emblazoned with his face at the Mafwe tradional authority headquarters. He also visited a village outside Katima where he was engaged in a tree planting activity.
All attention of the candidates is now focused on the business of tomorrow with the candidates, where they are expected share their plans for the party and the country with the congress delegates from the Zambezi Region.
The side-events of the candidates for the Secretary General position, pitting incumbent Sophia Shaningwa and Armas Amukwiyu, have so far not drawn much attention, but can be equated to a battle of titans second time around.
The congested field of Deputy SG being contested by David Hamutenya, Uahekua Herunga, Evelyn Naweses-Tayele and Lucia Witbooi may be an interesting race, as all four are not seen to be prominent influential figures in the party. Their success may lay in whom they align themselves to.
Last week in the Erongo Region campaign meeting at Swakopmund, delegates are said to have snubbed Kuukongelwa Amadhila, but this was denied by the Swapo Erongo regional coordinator, Daniel Muhuura.
It is said that the delegates walkout after the presentation by Netumbi Nandi-Ndaitwah and had to be convinced to return and listen to Amadhila.
Muhuura told the Windhoek Observer, it was not a walkout but a ‘’customary escort of the delegates of the Vice President’’.
With the alleged incident in the Erongo Region, it is not clear how the campaign in the Zambezi and those following will unfold.
