SWAPO

Job vs Swapo is not the point . . . inclusive democracy is

The new normal could mean a serious reconsideration of proportional representation in Parliament and an end to parties making decisions about who represents people locally. Affirmative Repositioning (AR) has registered with the Electoral Commission of Namibia in time for the upcoming 2020 local authority and regional council elections. AR co-leader Job Amupanda has had long-stated aspirations to be the Mayor of the City of Windhoek. The stage has been set for an exercise in inclusive democracy that is long overdue in Namibia. Namibian politics has shifted significantly from where things were in March 1990. The world has altered remarkably since…
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This is not the time for a party

This is not the time for a party

…it is a time to be sensitive and sincere We are disappointed at the ill-considered ‘party’ that was held to celebrate the SWAPO 60th birthday. We are fine with the ruling party rightfully applauding its 60-year history and its future in power in Namibia. But, during a COVID-19 pandemic, a state of emergency and an extended lockdown where people are being herded into their homes, forced to stand distances apart in queues to buy bread, and watch their financial futures crumble, the ruling party -led by the President himself- is having a grand old time, at a party with a…
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Strain after 30 years of Swapo rule

Henning Melber Namibia turns 30 this month. Its former liberation movement, the South West Africa People’s Organisation SWAPO, has been in power all these years and the country has been relatively stable, with a wide range of civil liberties. But not all is well in the state of Namibia. Despite what seems to be a positive track record, many will not celebrate this year. As Geingob starts his second term, the republic is more divided than ever. For the first time Geingob, as presidential candidate, obtained fewer votes than his party. His 87 percent of 2014 shrank to a mere 56…
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