A Swapo Party vehicle allegedly sold by the party’s regional coordinator for the Kavango East Region, Ottilie Shinduvi in 2016, was involved in an accident and not sold, a former party official has revealed.

This comes after a demonstration by some party members, who were calling for the suspension of Shinduvi for apparently selling a party vehicle assigned to the region and for alleged misappropriation of funds.

Andrew Haingura, the former Swapo Party regional administrator in the Kavango East Region, upon enquiry by Nampa on Wednesday, said the vehicle with registration number N65540W was assigned to the region while under his leadership between 2016 and 2020.

“In November 2016 this vehicle was requested by the then Mukwe Constituency councillor Christian Kalyangu to be used during a Swapo Party Elders Council conference. The car was given in the hands of Kalyangu as he has a driver’s licence but it got involved in an accident where the driver hit some cattle,” Haingura said.

The car was then towed to a garage in Kehemu (Rundu) and a report was submitted to the Swapo head office explaining the incident, he further elaborated.

Haingura said while at the garage, the workers there started selling some car parts which led to them collecting statements from the workers with the involvement of the police.

This report too, he said, was forwarded to head office.

On the accusation of funds in the amount of N.dollars 11 000 being misappropriated by Shinduvi, Haingura said they created systems that ensured that when somebody is given money, they sign for it.

He said there are no records of outstanding money while he was in office and questioned why this issue is only coming up now when he is no longer in office.

During the recently held regional executive committee meeting, Shinduvi said the party in the region can only grow if members stand and work together as one.

She said the party has platforms where aggrieved Swapo members can iron out issues rather than taking them to the streets.

“If you don’t want to respect the structures, no one can listen to you,” Shinduvi said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency