Stefanus Nashama
Khomas Regional Governor and former Swapo Deputy Secretary-General, Laura McLeod-Katjirua, yesterday said she has no intention of destroying or abolishing the same democracy that her party, Swapo, suffered to build for many years.
The Governor said she was misquoted when addressing a conference to elect new party leaders in the John Pandeni constituency over the weekend.
“I didn’t mean to bash opposing parties; I was merely pushing Party members to band together, work together, and save the Party so that it could remain in power,” she explained.
McLeod-Katjirua said Swapo deserves to remain in power because it delivered freedom, and people should not use the same democracy it brought, to fight the party for personal gain.
She highlighted that the media twisted her words in order to put her in a negative light for things she did not mean.
“I believe there are those looking for me while forgetting that democracy exists for all, and on that note, I do not have the power to abolish democracy,” she said.
McLeod-Katjirua stated that she meant to urge party leaders to unite, work hard, and continue to govern Namibia rather than hand over power to opposition parties.
She said her words calling for the abolition of democracy were taken out of context, and was disappointed to hear about it in the media.
“How can I abolish the same democracy for which we fought? It’s never been done before,” she said.
McLeod-Katjirua stated that Namibia is a democratic country, and as such, she has no power to abolish democracy.
She also stated that she has no personal objections to anyone using their democratic right, as brought forth by Swapo, as long as they do so correctly.
Even if Swapo loses elections in 2024, which she says is unlikely, McLeod-Katjirua highlighted that she will not leave the country.
McLeod-Katjirua was chastised by the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) on Monday for making dangerous remarks in public.
According to a statement made by the party’s Secretary-General, Manuel Ngaringombe, McLeod-Katjirua’s claims are regrettably reflective of an unhealthy political mindset.
“It is critical to remember that democracy is a dynamic process, not a static product delivered by a single entity. As a result, the evolution of our nation’s leadership should be a collaborative endeavor rather than the whims of a single party,” Ngaringombe remarked.
He also emphasised that in a healthy democracy, any party should be regarded as capable of leading the country to prosperity.
“After all, leadership is about action, not names,” he added.
