By: Andrew Kathindi
PDM chairperson in the //Kharas region Innocent Mathys says that the national congress, which was meant to elect new leadership for the party’s youth wing, was riddled with favouritism and irregularities.
The youth league’s National Spokesperson Maximalliant Katjimune announced on Saturday that due to “unanticipated developments”, the congress could not be finalised and has been called off until further notice.
However, the official opposition’s//Kharas region chair says that those behind restructuring youth league structures were the very people contesting positions at the congress.
He further said that money meant for the delegates was disbursed unfairly based on who was favoured by those responsible for the kitty.
“Those delegates who were deemed to be in opposition to those who organised and were contesting were accommodated in the least favourable places such as Tabitha Centre. Those who were seen to be in support of them were accommodated at Dalarize Guesthouse in Pioneerspark, where they were dined and wined until 5 am on Saturday (11 December 2021),” says Mathys in a letter to PDM secretary-general Manuel Ngaringombe.
“We also take great exception with how Regional Chairpersons were coerced and harassed when choosing their delegates to Congress.”
He further said that there was a plot to question the legitimacy of 15 of the 99 delegates who were present at the congress in order for them to not be the needed quorum of 86.
The congress was also meant to elect representatives for the party’s national congress in 2024, which will decide the party’s overall leadership beyond 2024.
Mathys further says that Katjimune is not voted authorised or sanctioned by the PDMYL to be the youth league spokesperson.
“He must therefore cease and desist from issuing public statements purported to be on our behalf. We demand a financial accountability report of the congress expenditure (duly audited by the mother body) by the end of business day Friday 17 December 2021.”
He further called for a new congress to be organised.
Katjimune told The Villager that following the youth league congress being called off, the current leadership will continue in an acting capacity until a determination on new National Congress dates has been made.
“The Chairperson of the //Karas region can write a formal letter of grievance to the Youth League Management or the mother body if he has any other issues he feels needs to be clarified.”
In his address to the delegates over the weekend, PDM president McHenry Venaani urged the party’s youth wing to unite and avoid infighting.
“As you all participate in this heavily anticipated National Youth Congress, we must remember that while the competition for places is a healthy tenet of any democratic process, we should not lose sight of the fact that maintaining the unity of the Youth League and the PDM at large remains paramount. Unity is the rock upon which the PDM was founded.”