The battle for Swapo regional positions in the Otjozondjupa Region, and that of securing a slot at the ruling party’s electoral college later in the year, degenerated into a physical fight at Grootfontein last week.
The scuffle has landed the party’s Grootfontein district co-ordinator Abisai Haimene in police custody after he was arrested yesterday afternoon.
This was after a case of assault was lodged against Haimene after he allegedly punched Fellipe Elder Fernando, a party member who supported Mandume Kawana as candidate for the position of regional information and mobilisation officer.
The incident happened last week Thursday during a district conference at the town, where nominations for regional positions topped the agenda.
The position of regional information and mobilisation officer was previously held by Rapama Kamehozu, the former regional governor who died last year.
Swapo insiders said the conference degenerated into a brawl after a section of delegates nominated Kawana as a candidate for regional information and mobilisation officer.
Before Kawana’s nomination, there was only one candidate for the position, who stood unopposed.
Namibian Sun understands that Haimene backed Moses Shoonyeka as the Grootfontein district’s sole candidate for the regional information and mobilisation officer’s position, which will be contested at the regional conference in due course.
But other delegates nominated Kawana as a second candidate from the district – and it was Kawana’s nomination that started the trouble.
Haimene and his supporters allegedly opposed Kawana’s nomination, saying his nomination was late and should therefore not be considered.
Kawana’s supporters allegedly demanded minutes of the decision that was preventing their preferred candidate from entering the race, but Haimene maintained his stance that Shoonyeka would be the district’s sole candidate for the position.
Fernando apparently kept demanding evidence of a party decision barring Kawana from standing but he received a punch in the face instead.
When he opened a case with the police, Fernando said he was punched by Haimene and injured his left cheek in the scuffle.
He received treatment at a local hospital on Thursday night, he told Namibian Sun upon inquiry yesterday.
“The constitution of the party was not being followed and that’s what we were contesting. This guy [Haimene] punched me and I had to receive treatment for that,” Fernando said.
The police in Grootfontein confirmed that they arrested Haimene yesterday. At the time of going to press last night, Haimene was still in custody.
“He is still here because he hasn’t been charged yet,” a police officer confirmed.
Fernando said he has reported the incident to the senior leadership of the party.
“I don’t want to comment much on this incident because it is sensitive. All I can tell you is that I have reported it to the secretary-general [Nangolo Mbumba] as well as to [youth league secretary] Comrade [Elijah] Ngurare,” he said.
Swapo is preparing for its electoral college which is to be held later in the year. Party members stand a better chance to be delegates at the electoral college if they secure seats in the party’s regional structures.
“The electoral college will be a hot potato in terms of electing candidates and people are jostling for a spot there, that’s why you see people resorting to physical assault,” a party member told Namibian Sun yesterday.