The Swapo Party Elders' Council says DTA president Katuutire Kaura's recent statements about deliberate implementation of ethnic dominance by one tribal grouping and the marginalisation of minority ethnic groups were intended to incite ethnic violence.

Addressing a DTA executive committee meeting recently, Kaura said his party was opposed to ethnic dominance by one group in the Karas and Hardap regions.

He called on the people of the South not to watch from street corners as wealth passed them by destined for the North because they cannot get jobs at mines in the area of their birth.

He also said it was criminal not to have Police station commanders in the South who are Nama, Damara, Baster or Coloured.

SPEC secretary Kanana Hishoono said Kaura's remarks bordered on incitement of public disorder and fuelling of ethnic violence.

"Remarks of such nature induce people to hate one another, which may lead to ethnic cleansing of certain population groups by others.

The remarks are extremely dangerous to nation-building and social cohesion," Hishoono said.

During his speech, Kaura had questioned why someone from the North was made Mayor of Keetmanshoop and why Government was kicking southerners out of resettlement farms only to give them to people from the North.

Hishoono said it was time for Kaura to stop using ethnic and tribal tactics, hoping that he would get support "for his ethnically based DTA".

"If the Constitution provides for every Namibian citizen the right to move, reside and work wherever she or he wants to within the borders of the Republic of Namibia, then why is Honourable Kaura so irritated by what he calls northerners resettling in the area of the southerners?" Hishoono wanted to know.

He said Independence brought freedom of movement and all Namibians had the right to settle where they liked.

Hishoono said he hoped Kaura was aware that there were many high-ranking Police officers from the South doing duty in other regions of the country.

"We know that he is doing this as a campaign in view of the national elections next year, but Swapo Party Elders' Council would like to advise him to avoid such behaviours that are undermining peace, unity and the spirit of national reconciliation," he said.