By: Uakutura Kamaekua – Epembe
The Swapo party, over the weekend, welcomed over 120 new members, who joined the party, and charged them to work closely with the leadership to ensure success for the transformation of the region and the country.
According to Swapo Vice president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the new members from Epembe joined the ruling party from PDM.
“You cannot speak of a political party without talking about its party members, supporters and sympathisers. And you cannot talk of members, supporters and sympathisers of the party without speaking of the grassroots,” stated Nandi-Ndaitwah during the official welcoming remarks at Epembe village in the Epupa constituency Kunene region.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said that the party needs intensive mass mobilisation to ensure it has members.
She informed the new inductees that henceforth, they are part of ‘this unitary family and become part of the fuel that powers the engine’. “For those still outside, Swapo party has room for all of us. Believe in its construction, and build this country together. In Swapo, we don’t join the party for self-gratification but to be part of the team that has the people of Namibia at heart,” advised Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The party’s second in command further called on party members to dedicate themselves to hard work. She noted that it is the responsibility of all party members to continue mobilising the masses and making them aware of the party’s aims and objectives.
“We must know that anyone joining Swapo has accepted Swapo aims and objectives as stipulated in the party’s constitution.”
She also reiterated the party’s objectives to the new members, stating that in addition to development, Swapo seeks “to unite the people of Namibia, irrespective of their race, sex or ethnic origin, into a democratic, vibrant and peace-loving nation”.
“That is to say, for any true Swapo party member, there is no room for tribalism and discrimination. A true Swapo party member must set this example,” she added.
She called on members to combat retrogressive tendencies of tribalism, ethnicity, nepotism, racism, sexism, chauvinism, regionalism, and personality cults and strive to achieve gender equality in all party structures.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also challenged the inductees to demand the fulfilment of what is established in the constitution and to implement resolutions, decisions and directives of the party. Additionally, she noted that the party also must fight underdevelopment, poverty, illiteracy and disease.
She further said the Swapo led government has done much.
“Road Infrastructure is central to development as it will bring about a balanced development. There are also a number of schools built to enable our children to have access to education. The government has also provided potable water and electricity to communities and health services to a certain extent. Kunene region is one of the beneficiaries of the services provided,” she added.
On balanced development, Nandi-Ndaitwah explained that since independence, the Swapo party-led government has been paying attention to the most neglected areas in the country, affirming that with the establishment of the regions, “Opuwo was among the isolated areas that were declared a regional capital.
“As a regional capital, Opuwo has now grown from a bush area to a faster-growing modern town. No one can deny that reality,” she said.
Moreover, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the Kunene region has made immense strides over the past years with numerous National and Regional Development Projects and Programmes, which have had positive impacts on its people. “Some of these programmes and projects include; improving in livestock marketing, provision of housing, social service to the children and the elderly,” she added.
Swapo’s vice leader also emphasised the challenges faced by Namibians, such as lack of housing, meagre access to acceptable sanitation, health and education services, including finite employment opportunities, particularly among the youth and women.
She said these require the serious attention of the whole nation.
She further urged the new members who joined the party at the time when in 2024, the nation will go to the polls for Presidential and National Assembly Elections to vote for the party.
