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Namibia: Swapo Celebrates 48th Anniversary
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The Namibian (Windhoek)
21 April 2008
Posted to the web 21 April 2008
Christof Maletsky
Otjiwarongo
SWAPO President Hifikepunye Pohamba on Saturday held out an olive branch to those who had left to join other political parties, most notably the new Rally for Democracy and Progress, but, in the same breath, gave the opposition a tongue-lashing.
Speaking at the ruling party's 48th anniversary celebrations at Otjiwarongo, Pohamba advocated that Swapo had demonstrated time and again that that it was a genuine political home for the majority of Namibians.
"There are those detractors who accuse our party of all sorts of things. We will not allow their distortions to cast a shadow on our mission of making Namibia a better place for all to live in, a place we are proud to call home. We will not allow the misguided strategies of confused politicians to stand in our way," Pohamba said to loud ululations among party supporters.
He said there was no doubt that the party would continue to grow from strength to strength, as it was the home of the majority. "Allow me to call upon all those party members who were misled to come back to their home, to come back to their genuine history, to come back to the party with a glorious history of liberation," Pohamba said. Although the party has been holding rallies all over the country to introduce the new leaders elected at last year's congress, Information Secretary Jerry Ekandjo recently announced that they would go on a full countrywide campaign to ensure that they were ready for next year's national elections.
They wanted to take all but one seat in the National Assembly, according to Ekandjo. The remaining seat would be for former Swapo leader and Minister Hidipo Hamutenya, who left last year to form the opposition RDP. Pohamba said unity of purpose and action would continue to be Swapo's mantra as the party faced new challenges. "We have seen the dangers and destruction caused by ethnic tensions in other countries on our continent. This must be avoided at all cost. We must condemn with contempt and reject all tendencies towards ethnic-based politics or regionalism in any shape and from whichever quarter," the President said. Several Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Governors, Regional Councillors and Local Authority Councillors as well as party functionaries travelled the length and breadth of the country to attend the rally.
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Around 60 people, who Swapo claimed used to be members of the United Democratic Front, were introduced as new Swapo members, while two young men carrying RDP membership cards also returned to the ruling party.
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