Sostenus Wilherm
The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has moved to contain the fallout from the resignation of former Erongo regional mobiliser Rudolf Kahingunga, dismissing his allegations of centralised decision-making and claims that some party branches may boycott upcoming regional elections as baseless.
IPC spokesperson Immanuel Nashinge described Kahingunga’s accusations as “fake news”, saying the party was focused on broader organisational issues rather than what he characterised as the views of one former member.
“Fake news. I am just a spokesperson in the party. I don’t make decisions,” Nashinge said.
“We wish him well, especially in his labour/union politics. Non-issue. We have better matters to worry about. Not one individual’s fake news out of over 400,000 members.”
Kahingunga resigned from all his positions within the IPC on 7 July before joining the ruling Swapo Party, where he was welcomed alongside former Swakopmund mayor Blasius Goraseb and 15 members of the IPC’s Otjimbingwe branch by Swapo Party secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa over the weekend.
His departure has drawn attention because of his previous role in strengthening the IPC’s structures in the Erongo Region, where he was responsible for mobilising members and establishing branches. He also served as chairperson of the party’s Swakop Uranium mine branch.
In his resignation letter addressed to IPC secretary-general Christine !Aochamus, Kahingunga accused the party leadership of moving away from its founding values, claiming that key decisions had become concentrated in the hands of a few individuals.
He described the leadership structure as being controlled by a “chosen few” and later identified IPC president Panduleni Itula, !Aochamus, vice-president Trevino Forbes, and Erongo regional chairperson Aloisius Kangulu as individuals he believed wielded significant influence over party decisions.
Kahingunga further claimed that five IPC branches in Erongo – Otjimbingwe, Namdeb, Spitzkoppe, Tubusis, and Okombahe – had indicated that they would not participate in the party’s regional leadership elections scheduled for August.
However, Nashinge questioned Kahingunga’s standing to speak on behalf of IPC structures following his resignation.
“He will do so with what authority? I thought he left?” Nashinge said.
When asked whether the party disputed the claim that the five branches could boycott the elections, Nashinge did not directly confirm or deny the allegation, instead insisting that Kahingunga no longer represented IPC structures.
The spokesperson also downplayed the political impact of Kahingunga’s move to Swapo, describing the defection as insignificant to the party’s overall strength.
“Non-issue to the IPC,” he said when asked about Kahingunga joining the ruling party.
The IPC maintains that the resignation of one senior member does not affect its organisational stability, pointing to its wider membership base as evidence that the party remains strong.
However, Kahingunga’s allegations have reignited questions about internal democracy within opposition parties, particularly around whether grassroots members feel involved in key decisions.
The IPC rose to prominence following the 2020 local authority elections, where it made major gains and positioned itself as one of Namibia’s leading opposition parties.
The party has consistently campaigned on principles of transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.
Kahingunga’s departure now places renewed focus on whether those principles are being applied within the party’s own structures, especially as political parties prepare for future electoral battles.
