Political Desk
CAMPAIGNERS and financial titans aligned to the Prime-minister, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, torpedoed her Swapo vice-presidential race barely 12-hours before the congress elections.
Four delegates from the Ohangwena region exposed and reported a combined amount of N$10 000 transferred through an EFT transaction into their accounts to switch their support and votes from the Swapo Vice-president and Deputy Prime Minister, me. Netumbo Ndaitwah, to me. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
The police’s regional Crime Investigator Coordinator, Deputy-commissioner Zachariah Amakali, confirmed that the police was approached by local Swapo leaders in order to register a case of bribery, but after a discussion, the police referred the complainants to rather report it to the Swapo headquarters so that “it can be dealt with during congress”.
In a stunning revelation, the delegates handed the N$10 000 to the local Swapo leadership as evidence for allegations and insisted on police action, but were persuaded to report it to the Congress where it can surface tomorrow morning, dealing the Kuugongelwa-Amadhila campaign a near fatal blow and making it a head-to-head race between me. Ndaitwah and her strongest challenger, minister Pohamba Shifeta.
In a dramatic shift of the Namibian political landscape, the delegates of the usual united Omusati-front in the Swapo heartland, are divided this time around with Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and the reputation of her prominent Outapi businessman husband, Tona Amadhila, and holder of various unfinished construction projects, amongst them police infrastructure also dragged into the race as Namibia’s potential first male “first lady”.
The bribery allegations by money-men and self-appointed Kuugongelwa-Amadhila campaign managers created a fire storm of resistance the past 72 hours. The Prime minister was a favourite of the anti-Geingob media and lately an NBC favourite at the start of the race with accusations flying of abuse of state media in her favour and breaking rules set by the special congress.
The president, Dr. Hage Geingob, was brought under suspicion for not “endorsing” me. Ndaitwah implying that he was secretly supporting Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, which was never true as Dr. Geingob made it clear that “Swapo will elect his successor”. An investigation and painstaking inquiry can also now reveal that there was never an understanding neither a request from former President Pohamba that Dr. Geingob must endorse his vice-president. “It just never happened,” those close to Pohamba insisted.
In the meantime, one of the stalwarts of Swapo’s blue blood and nominee for deputy secretary-general, me. Lucia Witbooi, withdrew from the race “citing isolation” because of her support for Ndaitwah.
Delegates from the South who suffered heavy political defeats at the hands of the LPM in Karas and Hardap are up in arms about an NBC news item featuring Kuugongelwa-Amadhila in public trashing the Geingob-appointee, Aletta Fredericks for acting illegally by not presenting two States of the Region Addresses.
The public humiliation to show strength backfired severely with the south pointing out that Kuugongelwa-Amadadila never responded to their requests in spite of “ten letters” to the effect.
With the Witbooi and Fredericks accusations, Swapo faces an even harder battle for wrestling back support from the Southern Regions, while she is called a stranger in all the regions from Zambezi to Kunene.
The remarkable business acumen of her husband, Tona, and potential “first lady” and his proximity to well-known fixers usually gathered at the “posh addresses” in Windhoek, with little or no connection with the Swapo grass roots also becoming a serious baggage that brings the ability to keep the promises of President Geingob for serious accountability into doubt and will even bring more division in a party that is seriously embarking on a unity drive, promoting accountability and continuing with the Geingob crusade against corruption that saw the cancellation of the airport tender and the arrest of corruption suspects.
Geingob recently instructed a new investigation into the Namdia deal that implicates misinformation from Kuugongelwa-Amadhila strategist, Obed Kandjoze and serious action against corruption by Minister Tom Alweendo into EPL and Mining corruption.
Kandjoze was earlier asked to explain to the president why the corruption perception keeps surfacing around him.
It did not stop the investigation into Namdia and unofficially is one of the reasons minister, Leon Jooste, resigned, because he “ran into a brick wall”.
The ghost of the San government farm that the government did not want to buy as it was not fit for resettlement and then bought by die Kuugongelwa-Amadhila couple to be later sold at a massive profit as a resettlement farm is haunting the highest office with San communities saying they were dumped there after the couple left.
In the meantime, people of Katutura Olukanda La M’Kwanaanggombe in Windhoek are accusing the contractor and potential male “first lady” Tona Admadhila Kuugongelwa that his unfinished construction site became a den of criminals. A Spokesperson of Tona Trade Holdings claims the notice board is wrong and that another company has the tender.
The Namibia police also cannot comment.
Delegates last night said earlier supporters are driven away by the campaign money-men, including Vaino Nghipondoka, Namibia’s tender super star and much respected business man who was seen this week at exclusive dining addresses meeting with Ndaitwah and Shifeta supporters trying to sway them from the Kuugongelwa-Amadhila camp.
The luggage of the bribery allegations and police case in Ohangwena are considered to be the heavy blow and the candidate might not even be aware of what was taking place in her name.
Veteran Swapo delegates yesterday evening were of the opinion that she should rather withdraw than being dragged and quartered in public destroying her and Swapo’s intention of renewal in the run-up to the 2024 elections.
It might even be a great act of unity if the Swapo candidates can decide on only one candidate tomorrow.
