Zorena Jantze
“COMRADE Ekandjo will commence with his campaign for election as Vice President of SWAPO Party from tomorrow, 23 September 2022. Comrade Ekandjo is not going to waste time or money in circumstances where he is absolutely correct,”.
The above are the sentiments shared by Metcalfe Beukes Attorneys to lawyers serving the SWAPO party, in which it declared that SWAPO parliamentarian Jerry Ekandjo will start campaigning for the Vice Presidency position.
Ekandjo’s notice to start campaigning are despite outcomes of the SWAPO Central Committee’s meeting, in which he was not included as a candidate. An issue, which has caused a bone of contention, as Ekandjo believes that the party’s constitution was not followed to the letter.
The SWAPO parliamentarian argued that only himself and Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta should have been allowed to run for Vice Presidency in accordance with the Helmut Amendments which require those aiming for the top four positions to have “persistently and consistently” been members of the CC, and a party member for 20 consecutive years.
Metcalfe Beukes on behalf of Ekandjo in correspondence to lawyers representing the ruling party noted that it serves no purpose to debate the issue any further when their instructions are clearly wrong.
Metcalfe Beukes further advised the SWAPO party to convene a meeting of its Central Committee at its liberty or approach the High Court for an order on interpretation of-its Constitution, as Ekandjo will go ahead with his campaign.
They further noted that where Frans Kapofi has withdrawn as a Vice President candidate, Ekandjo automatically qualifies as the other Vice President candidate in accordance with votes received.
Metcalfe Beukes attorneys added that even the venerated Comrade Helmut Angula — who just happens to have authored the amendments to the Swapo Party Constitution —agrees with Comrade Ekandjo’s interpretation of the SWAPO Constitution and his nomination where Comrade Kapofi has withdrawn.
“No further correspondence and/or debate is hence necessary and/or will be indulged given our client’s decision to commence his campaign for Vice President. Democracy will prevail. There is no need to artificially contrive reasons to exclude Comrade Ekandjo as a Vice President candidate,” Metcalfe Beukes Attorneys concluded.
The SWAPO party’s legal representatives, Murorua Kurtz Kasper inc. (MKK INC.) have however maintained their position that the party is not at fault, adding that Ekandjo has not exhausted all internal avenues to resolve the matter amicably.
MKK Inc also added that the party is gravely concerned about possible leakage of SWAPO Party matters including its correspondence. “It is expected that this development is addressed and arrested at the earliest opportunity,” MKK shared.
Metcalfe Beukes attorneys however argued that the nominations for Vice President candidates was made public and no correspondence inter legal practitioners has and/or will be done secretively. “This is a public matter,” Metcalfe Beukes attorneys concluded.
