Eba Kandovazu
SWAPO Party Member of Parliament (MP), Maureen Hinda, says Landless People’s Movement (LPM) leader, Henny Seibeb, is exaggerating in alleging that she slapped him in the face and his spectacles subsequently broke.
Hinda describes the situation as a “Kindergarten story” and a botched trap by Seibeb that did not go according to his plans. A criminal case, according to Seibeb, has been opened with a Windhoek police station. Hinda, however, says she was not made aware of the criminal charge. The incident, she says, happened during an adjournment after LPM MP Utaara Mootu approached Hinda to ask why she was objecting to a motion which she, (Mootu) was tabling calling for a conference on economic opportunities that could derive from the Neckertal dam.
“I was so surprised that they took my objection so personal. This is just a procedural thing and I did not even say the motion was not worth looking at. All I was saying is that the motions are of the same context. I didn’t say anything bad to Mootu but she was salty. Unnecessarily angry but with an innocent face. She maybe wants to be as crazy as Seibeb. She is even a relative of mine. I feel like when she wants to show off that she is angry, she is not really angry. That is the psychology they are using. It is just a matter of emotional maturity, I was just exercising my rights,” Hinda explains.
She adds that she objected because employment issues had already been included in the motion tabled by Popular Democratic Movement (PDM)’s Inna Hengari about youth unemployment. Hinda says that her intention is not to have the two motions joined as one although they both speak to the same topic.
“We are almost running out of time and there is less than a month for Parliament now. My contribution was also aimed at maximising on timing. I do not even have a personal issue issue against Mootu. The boy is just dramatising. Nothing really happened, it is not worth looking at. I was not even talking to him. My conversation was between me and Mootu and he was far from me. I spoke to Mootu very calmly. His spectacles broke because of the manner in which he pulled Mootu away. He somehow broke them in that process,”Hinda says.
Meanwhile, Seibeb informs that he yesterday sent a letter to National Assembly Speaker, Peter Katjavivi, requesting him to investigate the assault. He also alleges that Hinda threatened to throw him with a water bottle.
Mootu, on her part says it is not surprising that Hinda is denying the assault against Seibeb. “We have seen politics of denial in Namibia. I approached her because I did not understand. We have that civil relationship where you can walk up to the person and ask on what basis, and what she meant by her objection. The conversation on both ends became tense because she started walking away and I asked her why she was walking away when it is always encouraged for young female parliamentarians to stand up for each other. Why is it that now you want to silence another woman? That was when Seibeb came to me and pulled me by my arm saying I should let it go. She then slapped him across the face,”Mootu says.
