President Hage Geingob has called on Swapo Party members to start gearing up for the 2024 general elections, following the successful seventh ordinary congress that elected the party’s next leadership.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the political bureau (politburo) elections held here on Wednesday, Geingob said inside party politics has concluded democratically and successfully, and the party should therefore now prepare for the “outside enemy” to emerge victorious in the general national elections in 2024.

During the seventh congress held under the theme ‘Swapo Party united and marching towards socio-economic development for all Namibians’, a total of 783 delegates voted for the party’s top leadership, Swapo president Hage Geingob, vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, secretary general Sophia Shaningwa, deputy secretary general Uahekua Herunga and 70 members to the central committee (CC). Twenty-eight members were elected for the politburo by the CC.

“We are ending on a high note, we have successfully concluded our internal party democracy. The whole country was waiting to see what is going to happen, are they going to fight… But the main governing ruling party is coming out after a long democratic exercise as one. Swapo is now entering the campaign not within Swapo but outside enemies for elections,” he said.

The Namibian Head of State equally thanked party members for a peaceful and unifying exercise, saying Swapo has been going through difficult times of suspicions and doubts about whether members will come out as one, but indeed, it was concluded peacefully.

“People were hoping to get bad news, but I did not see any punches being thrown. Even though it was tough, it ended peacefully. Swapo is the party therefore I would like to thank party members and those who worked on the process. Let us now go fight with the mouths, intellect and paperwork to win elections in 2024,” Geingob implored.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency