Geingob wants post-mortem

…after dismal Swapo performance

By Eliaser Ndeyanale

SWAPO President Hage Geingob has said that the party will do a post-mortem of the party and its presidential candidate’s performance in last November’s elections.

Speaking at the 60th birthday celebration on Sunday, Geingob said the purpose of such a post-mortem is to equip the ruling party for the changing times and emerging challenges in society and the wider world.

Swapo performed poorly in the November 2019 election compared to previous years, gaining only 63 percent of the parliamentary vote while its presidential candidate Geingob secured 56 percent in what was arguably the worst performance of both the party and its presidential candidate since Independence.

In previous national elections, Swapo won between 75 percent and 79 percent of parliamentary seats. In 2014 Geingob gained 87 percent of the vote while the party got 77 percent.

However, last year Swapo lost 14 seats in the National Assembly to opposition parties that were the major beneficiaries of the election, as some disgruntled Swapo members and supporters reportedly voted for now expelled Swapo member Dr Panduleni Itula, who contested the elections as an independent presidential candidate and voted for opposition parties for the National Assembly.     

At the celebration which took place at Parliament, Geingob urged party leaders to be passionate, audacious and to work relentlessly to ensure that Swapo delivers victory in the economic revolution.

“In this context, we are pleased that the Namibian electorate following the November 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections decided to renew the mandate of the ruling Swapo Party and I as the President to begin implementing the programmes of the 2019 Swapo Party.

“Comrades, we have all seen the outcomes of the November 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections. These outcomes have obliged us, the Swapo party, to commence with the process of introspection following last December’s Central Committee meeting where I motivated the need for a post-mortem of the party and its presidential candidate’s performance in the November 2019 elections.

“The purpose of such a post-mortem is to better prepare, position and equip the ruling party for the changing times and challenges in our society and the world,” he said. He added that he was happy to note that the first party politburo meeting of the year had formally endorsed his proposal and would soon start the process of implementation.

“Comrades, at this juncture it would be remiss of me not to address the general air of malaise that has engulfed our world. There is a reason, why on a significant day like today, we are forced to meet in such reduced numbers,” he added.

“Cadres, you all know that Swapo is the people and the people are Swapo. Thus, we would have loved to organise a spectacular 60th birthday bash, befitting of the stature of Swapo.”