Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Swapo presidential candidate, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said it should be known that the programs in the party manifesto have already been planned and are going to be implemented as articulated.
Nandi-Ndaitwah made this statement during the party’s star rally in Walvis Bay on Saturday.
‘’I have also to inform you that in working on our manifesto, the instructions were very clear: that all the statistics to be used must come from the National Statistical Agency and other government stakeholders. It has also to be known that what we have put in our manifesto, we are not going to plan,’’ she said.
Political analysts and the opposition parties have criticised Swapo for allegedly using the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to generate the party’s manifesto.
A few of them said the manifesto doesn’t reflect citizens’ suffering.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said that the party included the monitoring and evaluation program in the manifesto to ensure its full implementation, and where the leadership falls short, there must be compelling reasons.
She urged Swapo supporters in the Erongo region to ensure the party secures an ”overwhelming” victory on election day.
This, she said, is because Swapo’s early history is incomplete without acknowledging the Erongo region in general and Walvis Bay in particular, which is known as the town of Nathanael Maxuilili, a Swapo stalwart.
“Walvis Bay did not only serve as one of Swapo party centres of political activities, but it remains our main port where most of our goods are transported to and from other parts of the world. Against that background, it is our responsibility as party members, supporters and sympathisers to see to it that the Erongo region is managed in a manner that will bring prosperity to the whole nation, being the trading gateway to the world. We should therefore make sure that come 27 November, Swapo has won overwhelmingly in Erongo Region,’’ she said.
An estimated 15 000 people attended the party’s rally in the Independent Patriots for Change’s (IPC) stronghold region.
The party secretary general, Sophia Shanigwa, said she did not expect this crowd, given that the party lost its majority rule during the 2020 regional council and local authority elections.
“My mathematical capacity failed me. This is more than 20 000 people and I want to thank you very much, the people of Erongo. This is your first star rally in the Erongo region. This star rally would administratively guarantee us the path forward to where we will have to increase our capabilities,” she said.
The IPC is currently running the Walvis Bay Urban, Walvis Bay Rural, and Swakopmund constituencies, which it took over from Swapo in 2020.
Swapo has also been relegated to opposition in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Karibib municipalities.
