Stefanus Nashama
The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, says it has no intention to support Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and its leader Panduleni Itula, or any other political party in the upcoming November elections.
AR spokesperson George Kambala confirmed this to the Windhoek Observer on Sunday.
Kambala said the movement will run its affairs independently and will not support any other candidate apart from Job Amupanda, who has expressed his desire to represent the movement in this year’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“We have no interest in supporting Itula. We have no relationship with him and his party. What happened in 2019 no longer exists. We will run the affairs of our movement without supporting anyone in the November elections,” he said.
He was responding to a social media post claiming AR has resolved to support Itula for president in the upcoming elections, and he was the author of the content.
Kambala denied being the author of a social media post saying there would be no immune boosters to support anyone.
The post read that: “When the AR Movement contested in the local authority elections of 2020 in Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Windhoek, the outcome was very poor and unexpected. The AR movement failed to secure a single seat both in Swakopmund and in Walvis Bay. While in Windhoek with a population of over 495,000 residents, AR could only secure 8,000 votes translating into two seats out of the 15 seats available on the council.
“However, the intervention from IPC and its President Dr. Panduleni Itula, who decided to nominate and support Dr.Job Amupanda for the mayoral position with their four seats, propelled our AIC to become the Mayor of Windhoek in 2020-2021. That is why as Activists of the movement we remain grateful and indebted to the IPC party for their immense support and for backing our candidate when it was not fashionable to do so.
They rescued us when the over 495,000 residents of Windhoek rejected our candidate. Hence we hasten to mention that as the collective of AR, we have resolved to back Chief Patriot Panduleni Itula as the 5th President of Namibia.”
Kambala refuted this and said the information was baseless in that the page where the post was created was fake.
“That page is being used by former AR members purposely to mislead the movement and its supporters. People should not take anything seriously on that page. It is fake,” he said.
Apart from the fake post, some members of the public have also expressed that if the AR movement wants to advocate for change and a new government, it should support IPC for a new government, since the party is considered the main challenge to the ruling party, Swapo.
Despite these proposals, Kambala maintained that the AR will not collaborate with any political party.
Kambala emphasised that Amupanda has announced his intention to run for president and the movement supports his decision.
The coalition between IPC, AR, and other opposition political parties in the Windhoek Council was created for a common goal, but it no longer exists, he added.
He reiterated that the movement does not need to make the mistakes of the past.
“We are on our own as a movement without supporting anyone,” he stated.
Kambala further stressed that the AR is determined to carry out its duties without the involvement of other political parties.
