ODIBO – The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) is a force that will bring about prudent change in Namibia, and even some of the Swapo party leaders are looking at the RDP as their only hope.
This was said by a parliamentary candidate of the RDP, Nicanor Ndjoze, whilst addressing members, supporters and sympathizers of his party at the Odibo village of Oshikango constituency in the Ohangwena region on Saturday.
Ndjoze alleged that some leaders in Swapo have also lost hope in the ruling party and as such are looking at the RDP to rescue them from corruption that has become the order of the day in Swapo.
“They used to come to us, encouraging us to push forward for change,” Ndjoze claimed, adding that Swapo has become a self-enrichment project for a few individuals.
According to him, the recent exposé of Chinese bursaries offered to children of Ministers, Deputy Ministers, President Hifikepunye Pohamba and other high-ranking government officials, is a testimony that Swapo has become a self-enrichment organization.
Ndjoze charged that Swapo is turning into an organization for puppets of the former colonial government, who are now “telling all the nonsense against those who have been on the forefront of the country’s liberation struggle”.
He singled out leaders of his political party such as Jeremiah Nambinga, Jesaya Nyamu and Hidipo Hamutenya as liberation struggle heroes whom the former puppets of the colonial regime are targeting.
Ndjoze said the grabbing of the Chinese bursaries by leaders in the government also demonstrates that the ruling party has turned its back on the poor, and it is now up to the electorate to vote for change during the upcoming general elections.
“You vote for the RDP for change. When they come to you asking you to vote for them, tell them that I don’t have bread and butter on my table,” he charged, adding that under the Swapo government, people in Namibia are facing imminent poverty.
Speaking at the same meeting, Nambinga indicated that nothing is wrong to resign from one political party to form or to join another one.
“Tatekulu (uncle) Sam Nujoma, who is one of the founder members of the South West Africa National Union (SWANU), also resigned from that party to join Swapo during the liberation struggle,” he stated.
However, Nambinga expressed dissatisfaction with the Namibian government’s unwillingness to honour veteran and former Robben Island inmate Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo for being the “founder of Swapo”.
The Anglican Church’s retired bishop Shihala Hamupembe was also amongst those who attended Saturday’s RDP meeting at Odibo village.
