Swapo has directed its members not to join organisations or associations currently registering with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) for the upcoming elections.

This directive comes after the party learned that some of its members are registered with organisations that will be competing against it in November's regional and local authority elections.

The directive was issued by Swapo secretary of information and mobilisation Hilma Nicanor.

"It has come to the attention of the party that some of our members are allegedly registered as members of these organisations/associations. Therefore, the party is urging members to refrain from joining such political formations, a situation that has the potential to render our members as founding members of these formations," she says.

The party has requested all 14 regions' coordinators to mobilise and inform all party structures of the directive.

Those who have already joined have been advised to withdraw and clear their names, Nicanor says.

The party in 2020 at its congress changed its constitution to block members from running as independent candidates, following Panduleni Itula's surprise challenge of former president Hage Geingob in the presidential elections.

Itula's exit from Swapo led to the formation of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC).