Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, Veiko Nekundi said the article published by a local daily newspaper quoting him that he wants to see the political graves of opposition leaders is a cooked story.
Nekundi is reported to have said that he wants to see the democratic burial of the Independent Patriots for Change’s leader, Panduleni Itula and that of the Popular Democratic Movement’s (PDM) leader, McHenry Venaani.
He was speaking during a Swapo rally at the Emono village in the Oshana Region, where he allegedly informed the crowd that they should ensure that when the November election results become available, there should be a grave of both Itula and Venaani with a big tombstone that no one can remove because they need to be buried forever.
The Windhoek Observer saw Nekundi refer to Venaani as the grandfather of puppets in Namaibia in a video.
Those who collaborated with the apartheid South African regime in Namibia were known as puppets.
Nekundi told the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday that he never uttered such words, and he does not even see the need to apologise for something he never said.
“No, no, no…I never said that, and I will never say such things. You can ask the journalist to share the audio with you and listen,” he said.
When asked if he was misquoted, Nekundi was adamant that there was no misquote, as the story should never have existed in the first place because it was made up.
“No, I can’t say it’s a misquote because it is a cooked story; I don’t even see the need to apologise for something I never said,” he said.
The politician added that he approached the media ombudsman and spoke to the newspaper editor, who apologised for the headline.
“The reporter told me he was not responsible for the headline and directed me to his editor, then the editor only said he was sorry for the headline. But I also informed the media ombudsman because they can’t just put words in my mouth like that,” expressed Nekundi.
One of Swapo’s vocal members, Stephanus Pombili, said Nekundi’s remarks are not in the Swapo party campaign manifesto, constitution, or code of conduct.
He said Nekundi and Swapo should focus on the politics of progress and inform citizens about policies the party wishes to implement and improve the lives of citizens rather than tolerating irresponsible and primitive statements from “sycophants and opportunists”.
“We know that the Swapo party is losing momentum. Nekundi is among the fishrot beneficiaries, but has he honestly instigated hate speech. These tactics stem from those who may have failed to convince voters to support our old-age grandmother.
We must persuade citizens to vote for our grandmother by highlighting what she plans to accomplish, which she could not achieve in 34 years, without resorting to inciting hate speech against political opponents. Desperate individuals within the party should be warned that their actions are undermining the Swapo party’s momentum and turning it into a tombo political party,” cautioned Pombili.
Independent Patriots for Change spokesperson Immanuel Nashinge said Nekundi’s statements reflect a desperate attempt to distract the public from pressing issues such as high levels of poverty, the recent reports of drought relief food, high unemployment rates, and a host of serious challenges plaguing our country.
“As a leader and an honourable member of Parliament, his comments can be seen as undermining the democratic process and potentially harming political discourse in Namibia. The insinuation that our party president, Dr Panduleni Itula, returned to Namibia only for self-serving reasons is not only false but a deliberate misrepresentation of his dedication to the country,” said Nashinge.
PDM secretary for information and publicity, Hidipo Hamata, said Nekundi’s comments are rhetoric of hate and death wishes that have no place in Namibia.
“We remind deputy minister Nekundi and his colleagues within the Swapo party that wishing death upon political opponents is not only morally abhorrent but also unconstitutional. The Constitution of Namibia guarantees the right to life and the protection of all citizens from threats and violence. Such inflammatory comments undermine these fundamental rights and can incite unrest and division within our nation,” said Hamata.
