Placido Hilukilwa
THE Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has lost another senior regional leader, with Erongo regional mobiliser Rudolf Kahingunga resigning earlier this week before joining the ruling SWAPO Party.
Kahingunga was officially welcomed into SWAPO by Secretary-General Sophia Shaningwa on Saturday. She was accompanied by her deputy, Uahekua Herunga, and several SWAPO Party parliamentarians.
Kahingunga’s resignation follows that of his former counterpart in Ohangwena, Erastus Mwahafa, who left the IPC and joined the ruling party a month ago.
In his resignation letter dated 7 July and addressed to IPC National Secretary-General Christine Aochamus, Kahingunga said he joined the party at its formation, “inspired by its founding principles of democracy, rule of law, transparency, accountability and meaningful grassroots participation.”
He said he had committed himself to building the party and strengthening its structures across Erongo and beyond.
“However, over time, I have observed with deep concern a clear departure from these founding principles,” Kahingunga wrote.
“The organisation has increasingly become centralised, with decision-making concentrated in the hands of a selected few, while internal democratic processes, consultations and grassroots participation have been significantly weakened.”
He added that the IPC had deviated onto a path “no longer consistent with the vision and values that many of us supported and worked hard to establish.”
“As a result,” he said, “I no longer feel that I can, in good conscience, continue to serve in leadership under the current circumstances.”
Kahingunga joined SWAPO with several other former IPC and LPM members.
PICTURED: Erastus Mwahafa, left, and Rudolf Kahingunga, right, former IPC regional mobilisers for Ohangwena and Erongo, respectively. Mwahafa travelled to Swakopmund to witness Kahingunga’s reception into the ruling party. Photo: Contributed
