Swapo Party members in the Kavango East Region have called for the suspension of the party’s regional coordinator, Ottilie Shinduvi, and for disciplinary action to be taken against former regional mobiliser, Bonny Wakudumo.

The Swapo members staged a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday, where they read and handed over their petition to one of the Swapo leaders assigned to the region, John Hambyuka.

Reading the petition on behalf of the demonstrators Swapo Party Branch Coordinator in the Ndonga Linena Constituency, Marceline Kahare, said they lost trust and confidence in the two regional leaders as they allegedly continue to cause irreparable harm to the party.

“The two regional leaders have made themselves guilty of mismanagement of party funds and party properties. They defy Swapo Party directives and interfere in lower party structures without involving those who serve in those positions,” Katere read.

The demonstrators accused Shinduvi of allegedly misappropriating party funds of N.dollars 11 000 collected from annual membership fees.

They further accused the duo of allegedly selling a party vehicle with registration number N65540W which was assigned to the party’s regional office.

Kahare went on to further state that Wakudumo continues to act as regional mobiliser even though the regional executive committee resolved that he steps down.

They accused Wakudumo, who is also the Governor of the region, of clinging onto the position to advance his own personal interests at the expense of the Swapo Party.

Kahare also noted that Shinduvi has turned the party into a theatre of tribal wars, nepotism, abuse of power. They further accused him of incompetence and of bringing disunity.

Responding to the allegations, Wakudumo told Nampa on Thursday that he relinquished the position of regional mobiliser last year already and that those developments are known at the party’s headquarters as well.

He said Shinduvi is acting in that position until the next regional conference is held to elect a new regional mobiliser.

He further called on the demonstrators to follow structures and procedures within the party when they are aggrieved instead of just staging demonstrations.

On her part, Shinduvi declined to respond and said she will wait for a response from the regional executive committee.

Hambyuka promised to forward their petition to the relevant office.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency