Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah has said the ruling Swapo Party should interrogate itself on the type of candidates the party presents to voters.
His remarks follow the nomination of candidates for the party’s top positions during a central committee meeting held on Saturday.
Kamwanyah said such interrogation must be done in tandem with an analysis of the country’s needs.
Defence Minister Frans Kapofi and Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta will challenge the party’s incumbent vice president, Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, for the vice president position.
The four vice president candidates will now start campaigning for election at the Swapo congress.
The battle for the secretary general position will be between incumbent Sophia Shaningwa and Oshikoto regional coordinator, Armas Amukwiyu.
Meanwhile, former Deputy Minister of Environment Uahekua Herunga will compete for the deputy secretary general position along with members of parliament Lucia Witbooi, Evelyn Nawases-Tayele and Kavango West regional coordinator Hamutenya David.
“Right now the problem is that ethical leadership is lacking. This is not just within the Swapo Party, but in all structures of government,” Kamwanyah said.
He said many of the nominated candidates have been implicated in corruption cases, although they have not been found guilty.
The political analyst said it is risky to present such candidates to voters who are already angry about corruption and it might appear as if the party is taking voters for granted.
Kamwanyah said Shifeta’s name was linked to the KORA awards case and Kapofi’s to the SME Bank case, while Amukwiyu was mentioned in the Fishrot case and Kuugongelwa-Amadhila’s name has been linked to businessman Vaino Nghipondoka, who allegedly benefited from a variety of tenders when Kuugongelwa-Amadhila was finance minister.
“If the party is serious about cleaning up its image, it would have thought a little deeper about nominating candidates who are implicated in corruption cases,” he said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
