Stefanus Nashama
The Swapo Secretary General’s office has extended an invitation to national soccer player, Peter Shalulile to receive blessings and prayers for joining the party.
Shalulile joined Swapo over the weekend.
On Tuesday, the party’s secretary general, Sophia Shaningwa, said she was waiting for Shalulile to visit her office to bless him so that he could do more for the country.
“I am waiting for him to show up to my office to bless him with prayers so that he performs more for Namibia,” she said.
Shaningwa also refuted allegations from opposition parties that Swapo pays celebrities to join the party and attract the masses during election campaigns.
She wondered who and how much celebrities paid at her office.
She said those alleging people like Shalulile were paid to join the party should first confirm with him and come clean.
“Was Shalulile asked and confirmed that he was paid?” she questioned.
Shaningwa said it was her first time hearing about Shalulile.
“As a secretary general, I am hearing this name for the first time,” she said.
Jesaya Ikali, the youth leader of Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) in the Khomas region, is among those who have claimed that Swapo pays celebrities to join the party while rewarding ordinary people with T-shirts.
“They get paid for joining, while you get rewarded with a T-shirt or a scarf, which gives you nothing. Use your mind and know your struggle. Support their music, their football, or their lifestyles, but when it comes to leadership, you need to stick to your principles. Follow what is right, and follow what is morally correct,” said Ikali.
He claims celebrities, such as Shalulile, are driven by wealth only.