As a new era dawns on the Swapo party, Namibia witnesses an en masse return of its “prodigal sons and daughters,” signalling a shift in its operational plan and leadership paradigm. This perceived turnaround features the first female leader of a liberation movement in the region, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and coincides with the passing of Africa’s last liberation icon, Dr. Sam Nujoma.
The departed founding father of the Namibian Nation will be remembered for his immense contribution to Namibia’s liberation from apartheid rule. Nandi-Ndaitwah is now touted as the unifying force to bring the fractured party back together.

“Cross Bridge When There”

Jeremiah Nambinga, a former Swapo Party Central Committee member and Deputy Minister who joined the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), told Confidente this week that no one can deny Nujoma’s unwavering contribution to the struggle, which brought about the freedom and stability Namibians enjoy today.
“He led the Swapo party during the most challenging times, and as president of a liberation movement, he had to command, direct, and strategize the best ways to overcome the enemy. It was not an easy task, having to convince people to go into combat and sacrifice their lives if necessary,” Nambinga said.
However, the 2004 Swapo Party Electoral College in an independent Namibia altered the unity of purpose that the liberation movement represented, as paranoia spread through its ranks.
On that day, Nujoma did not mince his words when he labeled some of his trusted cadres as agents of the enemy.
“President Nujoma told the gathering that there were agents of imperialism within our midst and came up with a list of 35 names. [Hidipo] Hamutenya’s name was first, followed by Tjitendero. I was also on the list, and so was Namibia’s current president-elect, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah,” Nambinga recalled, describing it as the beginning of disunity within the Swapo party.
“Sadly, it [the disunity] was propelled by the very same man who united us. But all said and done, Namibians must continue to look at the bigger picture, which is the freedom and stability that Nujoma’s fight for liberation brought us. We should not allow other things to overshadow that,” Nambinga said.
Nambinga, who later became president of the RDP, again left that party under a cloud and is now “without a political home.”
He neither confirmed nor denied his availability to serve the Swapo party in the forthcoming dispensation, should he be called upon to do so.
“Let me just say we will cross that bridge when we get there,” Nambinga said, with a light chuckle.
“I Will Be Honored”
Libolly Haufiku, another victim of the ruling party’s 2004 purge, who is also without a political home after leaving the RDP, has only positive things to say about the looming Nandi-Ndaitwah administration.
“I have a lot of trust in meme Netumbo. I have known her since the 1970s, and I know her capacity. The election of meme Netumbo has brought some positives to the country in general. People are looking forward to new changes, probably due to the past infighting within the Swapo party,” Haufiku said, describing Nandi-Ndaitwah as the country’s first female president with experience in both local and international politics.
“If called on to serve, I will heed that call. That will be a call to serve the nation, and I will not refuse. I want my country to move forward, and if I can be of assistance in any capacity, I do not have a problem with being a solution. The idea is to rebuild the party to its former glory,” Haufiku said.
Haufiku, who “literally grew up in the party, traveled abroad, and worked for the party,” maintained that one problem persists within Swapo: “the party’s inability to genuinely forgive.”
“Some of us left the party, not because we did anything wrong, but felt that we were being suffocated. We were in an environment where, once you expressed your opinion, you were seen as a traitor. Such an environment is not conducive for democracy to thrive, and democracy is what we fought for,” Haufiku said.
Haufiku stressed that “any democratic organization must be able to forgive and allow those who return to feel welcome. Not only welcome them at rallies and then villainize and victimise them internally because of fear or paranoia.”
“The party needs to undergo some introspection and improve on the manner in which it deals with people. People are returning to the party in order to contribute meaningfully, but it looks like the welcoming is only for political scoring and not genuine. And then there are those who are in the party structures simply for their bellies rather than to propel the ideals for which the party was founded,” Haufiku lamented.
He expressed confidence that with Nandi-Ndaitwah’s ascendance to the presidency, things will change.

“Not for Positions”

Knowledge Ndunge Ipinge, a young politician from Walvis Bay who ran as an independent candidate during the 2020 elections and represented the Walvis Bay Rural constituency, is one of the “prodigal sons” who has returned to the party.
Speaking to Confidente this week, he was quick to indicate that his return cannot be linked to “the politics of the belly.”
“My return to the party was not because I was promised a position. It was simply inspired by my desire to add value to the quest for development as part of a political formation,” he said.
“I believe that she [Nandi-Ndaitwah] can take the nation to the next phase of our development. She is the right candidate to drive us as we curb exploitation and navigate our way to winning the next chapter of our fight, which is the economic emancipation of the masses,” Ipinge added.
Queried on his intended role, Ipinge maintained that his contribution will be limited to the branch level, where he will liaise with different sections to provide assistance.

“Executing and initiating projects is out of my hands,” Ipinge said.

He further maintained that, contrary to expectations, he will not be running as a candidate in the forthcoming Regional and Local Government elections.
“I have no ambition or intention to run for office during any of those elections. But if called upon by the leadership to assist in any way, I will gladly contribute,” he added.

“Motherly Figure”

Another senior party leader, who suffered victimization for his divergent views and requested anonymity, told Confidente that Nandi-Ndaitwah’s election could not have come at a more opportune time.
“We have been speaking of building a Namibian house. But no house is a home without a mother [because] the love of a mother is unconditional,” the source said.
“Indeed, some members of the party were genuinely hurt, back in 2004, when many were labeled as infiltrators, hibernators, and the like, which led to some opting to leave the party. But in their hearts, Swapo remained their political home,” the source maintained, adding that Swapo has now entered a new era, as no other liberation movement was headed by a woman.
“In 2004, people left. She has decided to bring all those who were kicked out, sidelined, and marginalized back to the main fold of the party, because she genuinely wants to unite the movement. Yes, she was advised to do so. But in the end, it was her prerogative whether or not she would follow through on the advice,” she said.
“To us, the party is now being headed by a mother, and there is no reason for anyone to leave anymore. Whatever problems that we encounter internally should and will be dealt with internally, as is the case in every home. Every home has problems, and just like in a war, there is always some collateral damage.”

The Returnees

The party has recently seen an influx of former members and new entrants from other political formations. Among them are Dimbulukweni Nauyoma, who left the party in 2015 to help found the Affirmative Repositioning Movement (AR) before pursuing other social justice projects and serving as campaign manager for Ally Angula. He returned to Swapo days before the November 2024 polls. Nauyoma, currently attending a burial in northern Namibia, promised to speak to Confidente next week.
Former Deputy Leader and Chief Strategist of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), Hennie Seibeb, resigned from that formation on June 4, 2024. Later that month, he was welcomed back to Swapo at Khorixas. Seibeb resigned as a Swapo member in 2017 and co-founded the LPM, which was registered as a political party in February 2019. Seibeb, contacted at a doctor’s practice, promised to reply later.
Former Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) parliamentarian Vipua Muharukua also announced his Swapo membership in June last year, following his resignation from his party and parliament in April.