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Namibia: Swapo Claims RDP Pressed Its Buttons
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The Namibian (Windhoek)
15 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Christof Maletsky
Windhoek
SWAPO yesterday blamed the Rally for Democracy and Progress for a near-violent standoff in Katutura on Saturday, claiming it had been a deliberate ploy to whip up public anger against Swapo.
The RDP was also at fault because it had arranged its meeting in Swapo 'heartland', the ruling party's Deputy Secretary General Nangolo Mbumba charged in Windhoek.
Violence almost erupted when Swapo's regional leaders disrupted the RDP rally.
They claimed that the opposition had lured people to the meeting under the pretext that it was a municipal gathering, a charge the RDP has adamantly denied.
Yesterday Mbumba alleged that the RDP rally heralded the implementation of a plan outlined in the 'Nyamu notes' - to arouse public anger against Swapo, When he was still Minister of Trade, and at a time when Swapo members supporting Hidipo Hamutenya faced a witch-hunt, Jesaya Nyamu roughed out notes on options people had.
Addressing a media briefing in Windhoek, Mbumba said Swapo's regional leadership had investigated Saturday's incident, which had included interviews with the Swapo regional leadership, members of the community and the Police.
Mbumba said the party's leaders had concluded that the stand-off with RDP was a "deliberate ploy to rouse and anger" in the community - who were overwhelmingly Swapo members.
"We have established that the initiators of the public meeting had misled the community into believing that it was a municipal meeting.
However the said meeting turned out to be an RDP rally," Mbumba claimed.
The RDP earlier denied the claims by Swapo.
It said it had informed the Police about the intended meeting on Friday - through a letter to the Commander of the Wanaheda Police Station, Chief Inspector Andreas Nelumbu - and had even called for a Police presence to ensure a peaceful atmosphere.
'IT'S OUR SPACE' The meeting was arranged to take place at a taxi rank (no 80).
Mbumba claimed the meeting was "unscheduled" and at a "space that is known to be a gathering place for Swapo party members".
It was "not a soccer field or any normal public place", according to Mbumba.
"Clearly, there should also have been more respect shown towards the sanctity of the houses/neighbourhood of the people of Tobias Hainyeko, the majority of whom are Swapo members," he said.
Swapo's Secretary for Information, Jerry Ekandjo, was quoted by New Era as saying that Swapo members' reaction to RDP members was spontaneous.
When it was put to Mbumba that his statement actually meant that Swapo had created no-go zones for opposition parties, he claimed that the RDP had other places to go to but had opted to provoke to implement the notes written by expelled former Swapo leader Nyamu.
Among other things, the notes said Hamutenya's supporters had the option to remain in the party while causing a possible break from within through expulsion or resignation, or to arouse public anger against former party President Sam Nujoma while also reducing the electoral result.
Nyamu was expelled while Hamutenya resigned to form RDP.
Mbumba, who doubles as Minister of Education, claimed that the RDP's intention on Saturday was to provoke and stir public emotions for purposes of media propaganda following the party's electoral defeat at Eenhana.
"Last Saturday's incident was stage-managed by RDP to seek publicity and sympathy.
It created the impression that RDP was not free to carry out its political activity," Mbumba claimed.
Swapo's Khomas Regional co-ordinator, Michael Mwinga, was seen running up, down and around carrying a megaphone and shouting at people at the RDP rally.
Swapo members also hoisted the party flag but Mbumba said the flag had been there from Friday, as the party had a branch meeting there a day before the RDP rally.
The RDP eventually called off the rally to prevent violence.
Mbumba said Swapo deplored any form of violence.
"But we equally deplore any form of provocation.
It is provocation that causes violence.
Against that background, we will never allow our members to be provoked by anybody," he said.
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He accused the RDP of shedding "crocodile tears" and said the Police should have acted earlier by not granting the RDP permission to hold a political rally in an area which is predominantly Swapo.
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| Copyright © 2008 The Namibian. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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