By Jeremiah Ndjoze

As the Swapo party’s campaign to reclaim constituencies lost during the last local and regional authority elections gain momentum, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has urged prospective councillors to refrain from pushing petitions inspired by waywardness and self-seeking agendas.  She made these remarks during her maiden address of the Swapo Central since her election to the party presidency at the Extraordinary Congress in March 2025. 

Nandi-Ndaitwah expressed her deep concern with “the petitions and grievances that have emerged,” and reminded all leaders and party members that honesty, integrity and loyalty to the party must be the compass that guides their actions.” She called on party leaders and members to adhere ‘faithfully’ to the organization’s constitution, code of conduct, and rules and procedures as they go about their manoeuvring and subsequent campaigns for constituency offices.

 “Petitions born out of indiscipline or self-serving [agendas] weaken the Party and erode the trust of the Namibian people. We must safeguard the dignity of our party, protect its legacy and inspire confidence that SWAPO remains the reliable custodian of Namibia’s future,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.  

As the process of selecting candidates within SWAPO, in preparation for the upcoming elections, is nearing, Nandi-Ndaitwah commended the districts that have already concluded their primaries and urged the remaining ones to finalise their work with urgency, leading to full compliance with the Electoral Commission’s timelines.  “All our 7 selection processes must be guided by our constitution and the rules and procedures. We must also make sure we get candidates who will effectively and efficiently carry out the mandate of the party,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

REMAIN VIGILANT 
She reminded her comrades of the commitments made to the Namibian people as articulated in the 2024 SWAPO Party Election Manifesto which is aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP6).  She  urged the party to secure a commanding majority in all 121 constituencies and 59 local authorities. This, she said will enable the party to realise its vision without obstructions. 
“From material evidence, it is clear that in areas where we do not have a strong majority, service delivery will be delayed by standoffs, walkouts, unnecessary disputes, and other issues that might undermine our developmental imperatives,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

WINDS OF CHANGE
Upon conclusion of the last Local Authorities and Regional Elections the ruling lost its grip on the nation’s capital, Windhoek which has been managed by a coalition of opposition parties after they secured an outright majority.  SWAPO won five seats on the Windhoek municipal council, while various opposition parties collectively won 10 seats.

In Windhoek, the ruling party lost Windhoek East, Windhoek rural, and Windhoek rural constituencies to IPC, LPM, and PDM respectively, however held on to the Katutura East, Samora Michel, Tobias Hainyeko, John Pandeni, Khomasdal, Moses Garoeb, and Windhoek West constituencies. The party further lost key constituencies to the Independent Patriots of Change (IPC) at the coast, others to the Landless Peoples Movement in the Southern regions of the country, but kept its stronghold in the north. 

Statistics obtained from the Electoral Commission of Namibia, (ECN) indicates that that SWAPO received, 255 529 (56.95 percent) in 2020, a decrease compared to the (94.32 percent) in 2015 and (91.97 percent) in 2010. It remains to be seen how the party will fare this season.  Political scientist, Phanuel Kaapama has it that the ruling party’s hope for a good outcome after November 2025 is solely hinged on the uplifting energy being exuded by its leader. 

 “The positive vibes coming from the President may sit well with the voters, especially, the persona and aspirations that she is projecting. But aspirations require results in the long run,” Kaapama said.  He commented the Nand-Ndaitwah for her quest to steer the party away from internal factionalism, which he says has contributed to the departure of some members from the party while others in the rank and file has passive. 

“There is this disgruntlement among members possibly due to unmet political and personal aspirations, unemployment, poverty, unfulfilled promises and high expectations,” he stressed.