The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) is alive and kicking and here to stay, its leader Mike Kavekotora says.

His sentiments come at the back of reduced popularity among voters during successive polls since its formation in 2007 by then political iconoclasts who had ditched the ruling Swapo Party.

In 2009, RDP was seen by political pundits, political actors and ordinary people as the biggest threat to the survival of Swapo.

In 2009, the party garnered 11 per cent of the vote and eight seats in the National Assembly.

The party has seen a sharp decline since, with its National Assembly seats down to three in 2014.

At present, Kavekotora is the only RDP parliamentarian.

The party’s performance on the regional and local authorities has not been impressive either.

RDP has no member in the National Council and features virtually nowhere in the majority of local authority councils.

STORMY WATERS

Kavekotora argues that RDP’s political adversaries, tribalism and intraparty disputes cost the party.

“I kept the party afloat under difficult circumstances… One of the unwritten rules is that any political party that is established out of people coming from the ruling party, that party must be destroyed by all means,” he said in an interview with Nampa.

“We went through misinformation through Kandy Nehova who was pretending to be the president of the party. We went through tribal challenges where I was accused of being an Omuherero running an Aawambo party in hope that Oshiwambo-speaking people would turn against me,” he continued.

The reduction of seats in the National Assembly also meant RDP finances dwindled as “the bulk of our revenue was derived from parliament and the loss of two seats is a serious challenge to sustain the party financially”.

OPTIMISM

The ever-optimistic politician, farmer, businessman and economist is adamant that his party remains a force to be reckoned with.

“The core structures of the party are still operating, I am talking about myself as a member of parliament, the national executive committee that meets frequently [albeit restricted by COVID-19]. We did manage to have two central committee meetings under those circumstances,” he explained.

He conceded that the party’s lack of visibility and lack of activities have hampered RDP’s endeavours to win the hearts and minds of all Namibians in recent years.

“Because of lack of visibility, there were a number of branch structures that laid back. There were some people who resigned due to negative campaigning, not only by the ruling party but other opposition parties who are trying to believe RDP is going to die a natural death.”

“But being myself, knowing my capacity, knowing the strategies that I will deploy, I don’t think anybody succeeds at killing this party. I am always a step ahead,” he beamed.

THE FUTURE

The former TransNamib boss believes there’s a future for RDP in Namibia’s political theatre.

“We have a strong resolve to work with other political parties in perhaps a coalition formation that will then elevate the whole political dynamics from a party basis to a coalition basis,” Kavekotora mooted.

When it was put to him when he intends to hang his political gloves, he brushed it off, diplomatically.

“It is really early to tell. I wouldn’t say that I want to contest and would also not say I want to step down,” he said.

The politician follows the doctrine of conducting a situational analysis before arriving at a determination.

“We will be five years down the line. The political environment will change. We will conduct a SWOT analysis on our party so that the best person is recommended for the position of president,” he explained.

MERITOCRACY

Asked whether it is not time for the old guard to hand the baton over to the younger generation to inject fresh vigour into the system, he said the political environment has moved from the age debate to meritocracy.

“Even if you look at parliament, you’ll realise that it is not only a question of youth, it is a question of understanding and having the necessary leadership skills to survive. You must be the judge whether my contribution in that House shows that it is time for me to leave, it is time for me to basically continue fighting for the Namibian people,” he said.

Kavekotora added: “At this point, I am neither here nor there. But when that time comes, when the pawpaw hits the fan, whether I am the right candidate or not, as a businessman, I know that there is always a point of diminishing returns. Your reflexes are not going up as you grow older. So I will not stand in the way of a younger person with the right competencies and qualities aspiring to lead this party. But in the absence of that, I might be willing to stand.”

Source: The Namibia Press Agency