• By Stefanus Nashama

In a strong show of solidarity and leadership, SWAPO Party President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and secretary general Sophia Shaningwa, expressed disappointment at unverified and untruth newspaper articles insinuating that there is a rift between the two of them. 

The two senior leaders strongly dismissed persistent rumours of an internal division, affirming that the party’s top leadership remains united and focused on its national mandate. They made these remarks during a joint media conference to put to rest speculation of a political split, which had been allegedly fuelled by Shaningwa’s absence from a recent presidential event. 

“It is disappointing to see that the media tends to publish unverified stories, ignoring the reason they are there to report. Peddling untruths and unfounded allegations which are not in the public interest and they must be avoided at all times. No journalist of integrity can report untruth,” Nandi-Ndaitwah maintained. 

“You have a responsibility to inform, educate and entertain. You must not misinform, mis-entertain and destabilise.  As a former minister of information, I see the media as being the conveyer of information to the general public. That is why I say, if we are dishonest in our reporting, we are misleading and destroying this nation,” the head of State added.

“We have been disturbed by what has been in circulation that the secretary general and I no longer see eye to eye. These are damaging rumours, repeated in newspapers and on social media, and we felt it necessary to respond due to their severity.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah made it clear that the party’s leadership does not typically entertain baseless claims.

However, in this case, she said, ignoring the speculation would only feed confusion and give unnecessary ammunition to the party’s detractors. “There is no rift or bad blood between us. We consult regularly both in person and on the phone. We remain united, focused and on course to deliver on what the Namibian people have entrusted us to do.”

Addressing claims about Shaningwa’s absence from specific events, the SWAPO president clarified that such absences are often due to the demands of their respective roles. She emphasised that during camping they have to be together as they were focusing on one thing at that particular time.

She cited Shaningwa’s presence in Angola at a liberation movement meeting on Genocide Remembrance Day as a case in point.
“It’s important to understand that I manage the affairs of government, while the secretary general oversees day-to-day party operations. Naturally, we won’t be at every event together,” she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah also took a moment to call on party members and the media to remain vigilant and responsible.
“Those trying to sow seeds of division must not succeed. Our unity is our strength. We are standing with one heart and one mind,” she said.

While the country is awaiting for regional and local authority elections, Nandi-Ndaitwah urged party leaders and members to gear up with the elections.

“As party leaders, we must concentrate on our own agenda and make our detractors fail.”