Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has threatened legal action against Swapo, accusing the ruling party of dictatorship and a power grab in Walvis Bay.
The threat follows a meeting of the Walvis Bay business community on Saturday, led by Cobus van Schalkwyk, which called on the urban and rural development ministry to take over the town’s municipality.
The group asked the urban and rural development ministry to take over the town, saying the municipality is failing to manage it.
The meeting was attended by Swapo party secretary general Sophia Shaningwa, former fisheries minister Derek Klazen, and other national leaders.
One of the attendees, Nadja Figuereido, said the key message was that the minister has the power to take control of the council if it fails to deliver for residents.
“We are now working with concerned residents to put together documentation for the petition to the minister,” she said.
Shaningwa confirmed her attendance, saying the meeting was long overdue and prompted by what she described as the failure of the IPC-led council.
“On the invitation of fellow compatriots in Walvis Bay of the Erongo region, I went to engage the white community at Lagoon. The long overdue engagement is prompted by the deteriorating service delivery by the IPC-led municipality of Walvis Bay that has seen the unfortunate collapse of the once booming Walvis Bay municipality since 2020,” she said.
Last week, IPC held a campaign rally in Kuisebmond, Walvis Bay.
IPC spokesperson Immanuel Nashinge called the business community meeting “a sham” and “a dictatorial manoeuvre” aimed at fabricating dissent to justify an illegal takeover.
“The involvement of Swapo’s secretary general (when she has no portfolio) and a deputy minister in this campaign exposes it as a state-sponsored assault on local democracy. Sophia is clearly undermining Hon. Sankwasa’s authority and that of the appointing authority. If the people of Walvis Bay had legitimate concerns, Hon. Sophia Shaningwa has no authority to be presented with such concerns,” he said.
Nashinge accused Swapo of desperation ahead of the November local elections and linked the party to the fishrot scandal.
In November, Walvis Bay residents will join the rest of the country in voting for the local authority elections.
“There is no law that authorises coercion of citizens by a political party. Swapo’s desperation ahead of November local elections is shocking. Especially in a town where Swapo orchestrated fishrot that left many unemployed, swimming in depression, and destroyed families due to financial distress, and some ended up committing suicide after losing their abilities to support their families,” he said.
He warned that if Swapo proceeds, IPC will launch a legal challenge to stop what it calls “authoritarian and dictatorial overreach”.
He added, “Namibia is a democracy, not a Swapo dictatorship nor a Swapo brothel. If Swapo continues its evil bullying tactics, we will mobilise nationwide demonstrations to defend local governance and democratic rights that were fought for through blood by real heroes of Namibia. Instead of scheming to overturn established democratic principles, corrupt Swapo must face the people at the polls instead of abusing state powers to punish municipalities that reject them.”
Nashinge urged Walvis Bay residents not to be used for political purposes and warned them against signing documents that serve what he called Swapo’s corrupt agenda rather than their own interests.
