Mulopo Siseho
South West Africa People’s Organization (Swapo) is recognised as a freedom fighter party in Namibia. It has been the ruling party of Namibia since the country’s independence, winning all six democratic elections that have taken place in the country. It is then important to analyse this political party’s trend, as it has built itself up to become a formidable pillar in Namibian politics, facing the upcoming presidential elections. Well, an optimistic observation is that it has been regarded by Namibians as a political party that fought hard for the independence of this country and has taken care of the country since independence to govern a well-developed democratic system, maintaining a good international reputation for Namibia.
Then again, a pessimistic observation would be that inasmuch as Namibia loves SWAPO, their support might be facing a downhill as other Namibians claim to not being as wet behind the ears anymore. On the other hand, some supporters continue to hold the belief that SWAPO is the key to success.
1990–2010: These were the golden years for SWAPO, as people were still excited about the independence of Namibia. SWAPO touched the hearts of many Namibians from every corner. With the founding father, Sam Nujoma, who handed over power to Hifikepunye Pohamba on 21st of March 2005. In these years, SWAPO was flourishing, embedded heavily in the hearts of Namibians.
By 2010, SWAPO had established itself as Namibia’s major political institution, dealing with both the triumphs and difficulties that came with running a newly independent nation.
The legacy built throughout this period laid the groundwork for future governance. However, it also created the conditions for rising political contestation as voters demanded more accountability.
2010-2020: His excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba led a very vibrant SWAPO, maintaining its two-thirds supermajority up until 2015, when he handed it over to the late Dr. Hage Geingob. A comparison of the 2019 election results, which were the lowest results for presidential elections in the history of the party, with the previous election results then builds up the former pessimistic observation that I mentioned. Ironically, the late Dr. Hage Geingob, who was SWAPO’s leader, is widely regarded as a great leader. On the other hand, there is scepticism about the leadership skills of SWAPO as a ruling party. Shocking!
SWAPO under Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah With the seventh election coming in November, there is a chance of Namibia becoming a more feminist-led state. Perhaps we can say this is a more strategic move by SWAPO to maintain its dominance in Namibian politics. Her leadership comes at a time when the party is dealing with issues of internal party dynamics, governance and economic development.
The political competition becoming more intense makes it quite challenging for Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, as opposition leaders are rising up to seek change. Public displeasure over corruption claims throughout government ranks and economic inequality amongst citizens are also challenges for her. Regardless, the current SWAPO appears to be quite confident and makes it visible in their campaign that THEY ARE STILL SWAPO.
Could SWAPO be better?
BETTER? SWAPO is still at its peak level and is still the best political party in Namibia, regardless of being the ruling party. It is the only party capable of constructing an N$730 million headquarters in Namibia. What has then happened is that the political competition has intensified, with opposition political parties upping their game by creating attractive spaces for supporters to divert from SWAPO, mostly taking advantage of the challenges that SWAPO face.
And then, with the upcoming election, the ‘my vote is my secret’ rule makes all this analysis sort of impractical since nobody really knows what people have at heart and what party they cross for. People might be in support of SWAPO but vote for NDP and others might be in support of PDM but still vote for SWAPO.
In the end, SWAPO has been a vigorous political party, ruling Namibia for 34 years since independence. This has come with many challenges. The upcoming election is a milestone for the party, but yet they seem to be very confident. And so, just as they like to chant, “VIVA SWAPO VIVA”
Mulopo Siseho is a self educator with a keen interest in Political Affairs. He hails from the Zambezi Region and enjoys taking time to analyze the upcoming election. Contact him at mmulopo23@gmail.com
