Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) secretary general Manuel Ngaringombe says the upcoming local and regional elections in November will be a test of the party’s credibility and cohesion.
He was addressing delegates on Tuesday during a leadership training at the PDM Central Committee leadership training, part of the party’s preparation for the elections.
Ngaringombe told party leaders that winning back public trust will depend on showing unity through shared purpose, not slogans.
He urged them to build strong teams and communities that cross regional and ideological lines.
“If they want to win back the trust of the people, they must show them that the party is united not by slogans but by shared purpose. That they can build teams and communities across regions and ideologies. That they do not only speak of democracy and justice, but that they practise them within their own ranks first,” he said.
He urged delegates to return to their regions with a renewed commitment to lead with integrity and vision.
“Let us therefore return to our regions after this training not just informed but transformed. We must return to our regions and communities with a renewed commitment to lead with vision, with integrity, and with a deep love for our country,” he said.
Ngaringombe expressed confidence in the leadership collective, saying the skills and strategies from the training should shape their campaigns and interactions with communities. “Let us emerge from this training more focused, more disciplined, and more united than ever before, and let us use this renewed unity of purpose along with the content of this training exercise to lead the PDM into November 2025 as a resonant chorus for a better Namibia,” he said.
He reminded party leaders that PDM must serve as a platform of hope, not just a path to power. He said party structures should support innovation and inclusion, not block it. “They must bring women, youth, and minorities to the centre of political life not just to tick a box but to embrace their ideas, their energy, their struggles, and their dreams,” he said.
Ngaringombe also highlighted the importance of adapting to the current political landscape. He said transformational leadership and change management are essential tools for survival.
“Change management and transformational leadership, two concepts we will engage with in depth, are not just theories. They are survival tools in a competitive, evolving political landscape. We must ask ourselves whether we are prepared to lead a movement of the 21st century, or are we trapped in the habits of the past,” he said.
He stressed that the lessons from the training are not abstract but essential to the party’s future. “The skills and knowledge we are gaining over these two days are not academic luxuries. They are vital weapons in our arsenal. Whether it is understanding the ideological underpinnings of our movement, assessing our performance in Parliament, or tackling the realities of coalition politics, our leadership must become more analytical and more agile,” he said.
