…but bracing to bring urgent court application next week
Staff Writer
Aggrieved Swapo party big-wig, Jerry Ekandjo, through his lawyer, Metcalfe Beukes, has told the party that he will no longer immediately commence to campaign for the VP position, until he gets Central Committee authorization.
The former Robben-Island prisoner had threatened to kick offwith campaigns if he were not to be added back to the list of men contesting the VP position at congress.
His reasoning is that his exclusion from the race and the nomination of mines minister, Tom Alweendo and defense minister, Frans Kapofi, violated the Swapo party’s Helmut Angula Amendments.
This is espoused in Article 16 (8) of the party constitution.
But Kapofi has tapped out of the race, fearing the risk of being caught up in the Helmut Angula amendments fight.
Alweendo failed to gunner the needed votes and has silently melted away from the centre of contestation.
In the meantime, The Villager has learnt that the Swapo party, faced with a potential court show down tipping it against Ekandjo, has now roped the service of lawyer, Lucious Murorua, of Murorua Kurtz Kasper Inc.
“Our client has advised that as a disciplined member of the Swapo party, he will not commence campaigning until he is authorized by the Swapo party Central Committee to do so after being listed as a candidate for the Vice President position and/or until the High Court has made a ruling hereon.”
“Given such disciplined and loyal decision, your client is advised that, notwithstanding the goodwill between your firm and ours, if no positive reply is received by close of business on Monday, 19 September 2022, an urgent application to the High Court of Namibia will be launched. All of comrade Ekandjo’s rights are specifically reserved,” said Metcalfe in a letter dated the 16th of September 2022.
Murorua has advised that he is currently engaging his client, the Swapo party, for the purpose of instructions and shall revert to Metcalfe in due course when he is in a position to do so.
Ekandjo slapped his party with a stringent ultimatum this week, a few minutes in the wake of party president, Hage Geingob, launching the official commencement of the scramble for positions via closely guarded campaigns until November.
This, after the party had prayed to hold a drama free congress this year.
“The results of the Vice President, male candidates’ election was that comrades Kapofi and Shifeta were to be presented to the Swapo party congress as male candidates for election as Vice President of the Swapo party.”
“At first blush all deceptively appears well but unfortunately for the Swapo party Central Committee, it failed dismally to heed the constitution of the Swapo party in the identification of the two male candidates for election of the Vice President by the Swapo party congress scheduled for 25-27 November 2022.”
“Neither comrades Frans Kapofi and Tom Alweendo have served even one day as members of the Central Committee. This absolutely disqualifies them for nomination for the position of Vice President of Swapo party. Their respective nominations are factually and legally null and void,” reads the letter.
In his very first letter, Metcalfe initially informed that his client was obliged to “simply commence campaigning for election as Vice President of Swapo at the scheduled election by congress” come November.
It is, however, presently unclear as to what led to the veteran politician backtracking on this demand.
The lawyer also said that it would be lamentable for the party to be viewed as a miscreant that ignores its own constitution.
He has also referred the party to Article 18 of the Namibian constitution which provides for administrative fairness.
“It is expected that as the incumbent ruling party, Swapo will act in an exemplary fashion by observing its own constitution as well as the constitution of the Republic of Namibia,” said Metcalfe.
