By: Annakleta Haikera
Kavango East region Swapo members on Tuesday held a protest in which they called for the suspension of the regional coordinator and the region’s governor, Ottilie Shiduvi and Bonifatius Wakudumo.
The protestors accuse Shiduvi and Wakudumo of violating the party’s constitutions, rules and election procedures, which cause division in the region.
Their petition was handed over to the ruling party’s assigned leader in the Swapo party, John Hambyuka.
The protestors accuse Shiduvi and Wakudumo of mismanaging the party funds and party properties. They also claimed the two defy the Swapo directives.
“They have also failed to solve problems in all party districts. The accused also interfere in lower party structures, including the wings, without the involvement of those services at those levels. The two unlawfully sold a party vehicle assigned to the Kavango-East Swapo party’s regional office, with registration number N 65540 W. Ottilie is a staunch tribalist who has sworn to purge and marginalise other tribes, particularly the Ova Kwangali and Nyembas, as she only wants to work with her tribesmen,” read the petition.
They also said Shiduvi and Wakudumo failed to implement the developmental programme in the Mashare Constituency.
Former Kavango East regional coordinator, and organiser of the protest, Marcelino Kahare, told The Villager that Shiduvi and Wakudumo have been violating the constitutional law, and that this is not the first time that a demonstration is held against them.
In 2020, a similar protest was also held by Swapo members against the two.
People also demonstrated against Wakudumo for making Chinese born Namibian-businessman Charlie Min Xie his Advisory to the Board in the Kavango East.
“This morning, we received a lot of threats from the people we are demonstrating against. They even went so low as to say if anyone from the party dares to stand against them, they will lose their position in the party. The Mashare Blackberries Manager was supposed to help some of the party members to come from Mashare to Rundu for the peaceful demonstration, but he was told if he gave his truck, he would be removed from the land that he’s farming on, and he will never have peace. It was tough to gather such a big crowd because a lot of our members were threatened,” Kahare told The Villager.
When approached for comment last week, Shiduvi said those demonstrating against her and the governor should “read their constitution, and familiarise themselves with the party’s constitution. If they have been playing around without the Swapo Constitution, this time around, they will have to follow the constitution,” she said.
The demonstrators called for a vote of no-confidence against the two party leaders to be implemented with immediate effect, within 14 days, to avoid disunity and to protect the party during the forthcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections in 2024.