Renthia Kaimbi
Swapo leaders assigned to the Zambezi region will meet in Katima Mulilo this weekend to reset candidate nominations for the local authority elections.
The meeting follows the recent dissolution of the Katima Mulilo Town Council by minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa.
The dissolution, announced this week, nullified the participation of former councillors on the party’s established candidate list.
Under party rules, sitting councillors who have not been recalled usually receive automatic entry onto the candidate list.
“The dissolution breaks the chain of continuity. The council no longer exists in its previous form, so the mechanism that protected sitting councillors is gone. This opens the door for a partial and potentially dramatic change of the candidate list,” sources within Swapo told Windhoek Observer.
The directive issued by the chairperson of the leaders assigned to the Zambezi Region, Veikko Nekundi, instructs the party to hold conferences for the Sibbinda, Katima Rural, Katima Urban, and Judea Lyaboloma districts on 23 and 24 August.
District executive committees have been tasked with identifying new candidates to replace those affected by the dissolution.
“Further, the DEC will be permitted to identify new candidates to replace the candidates who are recalled from the local authority. Therefore, anyone interested in being identified by the DEC must bring along the required vetting documents,” the directive stated.
This process opens the door for new aspirants to contest three local authority seats and one regional council position in Zambezi.
The outcome of the conferences will determine who represents Swapo in the upcoming regional and local authority elections in November.
The dissolution has sparked criticism. Earlier this week, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) accused Sankwasa of abusing his power, saying the move undermines the Constitution and the rule of law.
Joseph Kauandenge, president of the Association for Localised Interest (ASOLI) and a former member of parliament, also warned Sankwasa against overstepping his role.
