PDM – Windhoek Observer

15 Sep

Private schools accused of only enrolling smart students

ObserverNational NewsHidipo Hamata, PDM, Vincent Mareka

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Swapo Party Member of Parliament, Vincent Mareka said the passing rate of learners at private schools is questionable. He said this is because private schools only accept smart and well-prepared learners who are going to pass in order to satisfy their rich parents who have to pay high school fees. Mareka made these remarks in parliament last week while contributing to the motion on the state of education in the country, which was tabled by Hidipo Hamata of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM). Mareka stated that private schools are single businesses or commercial entities established to make a…

11 Aug

No contenders for PDM top positions yet

ObserverFeatured, National NewsManuel Ngaringombe, PDM

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), the official opposition party, will be holding its elective congress from 22 to 24 August in the Zambezi region. However, party members have not yet made any announcements regarding their candidatures for top positions. Manuel Ngaringombe, the party’s secretary general, has confirmed that all positions, including party president, vice president, secretary general, and parliamentary list, will be up for grabs. ''At the moment, we have nobody yet who has indicated their intentions of challenging for any position. Maybe there are people out there who have done so, but they have not made it…

24 May

Swapo has no guilt feeling

ObserverNational NewsHage Geingob, PDM, Swapo has no guilt feeling, Swapo Party Central Committee

Martin Endjala The Swapo President president Hage Geingob refuses to be made feel guilty for being a member of the party. “I am tired of people trying to make us feel guilty simply for just being part of Swapo”. The party president said this during the Swapo Party Central Committee official opening in Windhoek over the weekend. In his welcoming remarks, Geingob wasted no time in confronting persistent ridiculing and trying to shame and blame Swapo for everything wrong during their gatherings. The SWAPO patriot said that the idea of targeting former liberation struggle movements is born of selfishness and…

29 Oct

PDM recognizes LGBTQ+ rights

ObserverObserver MoneyLGBTQI+, McHenry Venaani, PDM

Tujoromajo Kasuto The Popular Democrat Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani today said PDM recognises the rights of all LGBTQI+ individuals on equal terms as every other Namibian citizen under the provisions of the Constitution. He further shared that the movement will establish a Commission on Minority Groups with a specific terms of reference mandated at listening to the plight of minorities in order to comprehend the magnitude of their issues. Meanwhile on Abortion, Venaani said that while recognizing women’s right to bodily autonomy, the PDM abides by the relevant legislation on the applicability of abortion under Namibian law. On Gender…

27 Nov

Coalitions only hope – Venaani

ObserverObserver MoneyMcHenry Venaani, PDM, SWAPO

Andrew Kathindi Official opposition party leader, McHenry Venaani says divisions among parties has costed them in some areas and going forward a coalition provides the only hope to beat Swapo in future elections. This comes as Swapo candidates have managed to narrowly edge out the opposition parties in some parts of the country, while losing strongholds in other areas, as results continue to trickle in. “That whole thing really polarized the whole election, to the point where the opposition would have garnered a combined majority,” the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader told Windhoek Observer. “We knew that the election was…

05 Nov

Young politicians must cut their teeth

ObserverNational NewsHafeni Mafita, PDM

The recent decision by the PDM to expel their candidate for the John Pandeni constituency, Hafeni Mafita, is quite telling. The young politician posted on social media, “I hate whites.” These are ugly words. However, this is the first in a line of faux pas, gaffs, and immature moves by the plethora of younger candidates now gracing Namibia’s political scene. Let the initial response to these errors be more supportive than punitive. Mafita’s real violation is not hating whites but posting it online. And in saying it on social media, he put his immature foot deeply in his own mouth.…

16 Oct

PDM announces Windhoek candidates

ObserverObserver MoneyPDM, PDM Secretary General Manuel Ngaringombe, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM)

Helena Johannes The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has announced a list of 16 Windhoek candidates who will officially stand for the upcoming Regional and Local Authority elections slated for 25 November. The party SG announced that the party had selected sixteen contestants to run for the upcoming election in Windhoek and among the selected candidates, will be 21-year-old Roberto Dirkse, who is a Political Science student and youth activist at the University of Namibia, who will contest the Regional Council elections in Windhoek Rural. “We are indeed pleased to inform the nation that after completing this process, the movement has…

06 Oct

PDM Youth – The death penalty solves nothing

ObserverNational NewsPDM, Popular Movement for Democracy (PDM)

A passionate announcement by youth leaders of the Popular Movement for Democracy (PDM) calling for the introduction of the death penalty for perpetrators of gender-based violence, rape and human trafficking is grossly misguided. The death penalty is not a deterrent to crime and does nothing to address the underlying causes of why these crimes occur. Rather than calling for the death penalty, the PDM YL should demand that the public give evidence in court. They should insist that specific cultural beliefs and traditional practices that demean women be eliminated. They should demand state financing for support for rape victims. It…

17 Jul

We didn’t make a mistake – ECN

ObserverObserver MoneyElectoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), High Cour, PDM

Andrew Kathindi The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) maintains it did not make a mistake regarding the amendment of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) parliamentary list, seemingly hinting at its intention to appeal the High Court ruling. On Monday the High Court ruled in favour of PDM members Charmaine Tjirare and Hidipo Hamata in their case in which they challenged their removal from their party’s parliamentary list which was gazetted just before last year’s general election. The ruling requires that PDM members Charmaine Tjirare, Reggie Diergaardt, Frans Bertolini, Yvette Araes, Mike Venaani and Tjekupe Maximilliant Katjimune be sworn in as…

15 Jul

Venaani demands answers from Noa

ObserverObserver MoneyMcHenry Venaani, PDM, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM)

Staff Writer Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani has written to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) demanding to know why no action has been taken against high profile individuals who are alleged to have also played a key role in the Fishrot saga. This comes as the Windhoek Observer in April revealed that no extradition request had been sent for lawyer, Marén de Klerk, who is currently moving around freely in South Africa. De Klerk is alleged to have played a key role in the syphoning of funds to the tune of N$50 million from the National Fishing Corporation of…