Opuwo: Swapo Party Deputy Secretary General (SG) Uahekua Herunga has emphasised the need for unity within the ruling party ahead of November's Regional Council and Local Authority elections, stressing the importance of solidarity in the face of upcoming challengers.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Herunga's call to action comes at the back of last year's elections, which resulted in the ruling party losing its foothold in the national assembly, including the 2020 elections that cost the party several of its stronghold constituencies and local authorities. The deputy SG, during the party's Kunene regional engagement on the postmortem of the last elections in Opuwo over the weekend, stated that internal conflict could undermine Swapo's longstanding dominance in Namibia.

"We must stand together as one party regardless of our differences. We cannot afford to be divided, especially now that we aim to reclaim the Kunene region," he said.

Herunga urged party members to support all party candidates who will stand for elections in November, regardless of personal preferences or feelings about the candidates, referring to candidates who lost during the party primaries and may consider defecting after their defeats. "Every candidate the Swapo party endorses becomes your automatic candidate, whether you want that person or not; we must act accordingly, and this should always be the case," he stated.

He also reminded members to remain committed and begin campaigning in their respective constituencies, stressing that Swapo is the only party capable of governing Namibia effectively.

Speaking at the same engagement, Kunene regional coordinator Julius Kaujova mentioned that the party is aiming for a complete takeover of the Kunene Region after losing ground four years ago to the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM). Kaujova stated that unity and hard work are essential for reclaiming the Kunene region. "We must ensure that the unity we are building as a team will deliver the Kunene Region. We are fortunate to have experienced leaders assigned to Kunene whom we can utilise to ensure our success in these elections," he said.

Currently, Swapo governs the Outjo and Kamanjab constituencies, while Sesfontein and Khorixas are under UDF, with PDM holding dominance in the Opuwo Urban, Epupa, and Opuwo Rural constituencies.