Denver Isaacs
24 November 2008
THE Police had to intervene on Saturday to restore order after a group of Swapo members tried to prevent an opposition party from holding a meeting in Windhoek's Greenwell Matongo area.
The newly established All People's Party (APP) on Saturday morning met at the settlement to form its party spearheading committee, but was forced to fend off an angry group of Swapo supporters.
According to Josephine Nelenge, Swapo branch co-ordinator for the area, the APP was supposed to ask her for permission before deciding to hold the meeting there.
"Last week they wanted to do the same thing, but I told them to first write a letter to myself and to the Police.
They said they would.
Now they're back here but I have not received a request," said Nelenge, who led a small group of protesters, some armed with fence poles.
APP General Secretary Markus Sintungu said his party did get Police permission for the meeting.
"We don't have a problem with them [Swapo], we're trying to get our party established.
But for the second week in a row they're trying to disrupt our meetings," Sintungu said.
After the Police separated the two groups and the APP went ahead with its meeting, the Swapo group remained in place, singing and shouting at the opposition supporters.
The Namibian was informed of the situation by Nelenge, who demanded "justice" against what she called the APP's "illegal occupation" of the site.
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