Swapo top brass in Omaheke have come out swinging, condemning the recent comments by Popular Democratic Movement president McHenry Venaani referring to their presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as a "pensioner".
While addressing a PDM rally in Okalongo, Venaani called on Namibians not to vote pensioners into power during the upcoming national elections slated for November.
Venaani, it appears, was referring to Swapo's Nandi-Ndaitwah (71) and Independent Patriots for Change leader Panduleni Itula, who is 66.
The PDM president, aged 46, also made reference to 44-year-old newly-elected Senegalese president Bassirou Faye as an example.
Venaani is expected to be endorsed as party presidential candidate at an elective congress in the coming months.
Amongst others, he was quoted saying that he would work for the youth, and if they vote for Nandi-Ndaitwah, she will sleep at international platforms.
"My blood is boiling, Netumbo will sleep at the United Nations General Assembly. She has already started sleeping. Venaani is alive, will work for you, will work everywhere and every day without sleeping for you," he said.
These remarks were not well-received in Swapo circles, particularly in Omaheke.
According to the party's Omaheke coordinator Ruth Kaukuata-Mbura, Nandi-Ndaitwah was elected as the party's presidential candidate on merit, not age.
She said Venaani's comments are misleading and contain no element of truth, but mere political rhetoric, seeking to collect political points.
"Comrade Nandi-Ndaitwah was selected because she is capable, and that is the reality. Venaani's claims are misleading, and if he is advocating youth leadership, why did his fellow youth Vipuakuje Muharukua resign from PDM?" Kaukuata-Mbura asked.
She also asked Venaani to tell the nation how old the previous Swapo leaders were when elected into the country's top position.
"He is only complaining now that comrade Nandi-Ndaitwah is a woman, or what is his motive?" she further wanted to know.
Sharing similar sentiments was Omaheke regional council chairperson Ignatius Kariseb, who is also the councillor of Kalahari constituency.
He opined that age should not be a barrier to the country's top portfolio.
Kariseb does not see age as a hurdle, but as an asset.
"With age comes a great wealth of experience and a deep reservoir of wisdom, a quality crucial for effective leadership. I believe that Nandi-Ndaitwah's track record speaks volumes, and her capacity, experience and unwavering commitment to integrity, which makes her the epitome of a trustworthy leader, compared to the rest of the so-called possible candidates," he said.
It is further Kariseb's view that Nandi-Ndaitwah, or NNN as she is known among her comrades, stands out as a beacon of hope.
"Her dedication to serving the people of Namibia with integrity, free from corruption, sets her apart in a landscape where such qualities are often scarce," he stated.
The regional chairperson added that Nandi-Ndaitwah's diplomatic credentials have earned her respect on the international stage, and enhanced Namibia's standing in the global community.
"Her leadership is not just about domestic governance, but she represents the country with honour and dignity on the world stage," he noted.
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On his part, Swapo's councillor for Otjombinde constituency Wenzel Kavaka likened Venaani's remarks on the party's candidate to the "last kicks of a dying horse".
"Swapo will, of course, emerge victorious. Venaani must know that age comes with wisdom and experience. He is contradicted here. If he [Venaani] is against age, how old is his father, who is also in parliament with him?" Kavaka said.
More so, Okorukambe councillor Rocco Nguvauva told this publication that the tallest tree is the one that catches the most wind, "that tells you that PDM has lost focus."
"The same party that denied Namibia independence is coming back again and telling people not to vote for our presidential candidate comrade Nandi-Ndaitwah, is a big joke.
Venaani can go high or low, he is not going to become president of Namibia," said Nguvauva.
