Catherine Sasman
26 May 2011
The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) presented a unified front with its embattled Secretary Elijah Ngurare emerging unscathed after its Central Committee marathon meeting that went on for 20 hours.
The meeting ended at six o’ clock on Tuesday morning, after which CC leaders and members addressed the media, with Ngurare and former rival, Oshikoto regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu, making a show of giving each other a comradely embrace.
What now matters, said Ngurare, is what is contained in the party documents.
“We want to move forward; our primary focus is to come back to the ideals of the movement,” commented Ngurare.
Amukwiyu also said the possible suspension of Ngurare was never on the cards.
The CC lifted the suspension of its deputy secretary, Jutta Shikomba, who has been on suspension for one-and-a-half year with immediate effect.
The suspension of Jan Johannes Herero, S. Dukeleni, and A. Beukes in the Hardap region was also lifted.
The organisation said its deliberations were aimed at protecting its integrity and to prepare a “solid foundation” for the 2012 congresses of the wing and the Swapo Party.
The CC meeting sent out a directive to all its members and leaders to “at all material times” put the interest of the Swapo Party and its youth league above all personal interests or ambitions.
The youth league, which was split along members’ support to of candidates in the presidential succession race that was quelled by the Swapo Party, said it would not pronounce itself on the matter either within or outside the organisation.
The succession debates would, from now on, be informed by the Swapo Party leadership, while the youth league would accept the guidance of the party on the issue, the organisation said.
Only in good time, said Ngurare, would the wing make pronouncements in this regard in future.
This new position is a turnaround from that of Secretary Ngurare, who tried to pry open the succession debate in open discussions and social networks.
The meeting also took a principled stance to address divisive tendencies within the youth league, as well as other youth organisations in general, particularly within Nanso, the organisation for liberation children, Neka, and the student representative councils at tertiary institutions.
It assigned Alec Boois, Neville Andre and John Kantana to help restore unity of the youth organisations.
The CC reiterated its support of Government’s decision to declare certain extractive resources as strategic minerals and access to such minerals through Epangelo Mining.
It demanded the reopening of all copper mines that have closed shop despite retaining their exploration licences, and called all foreign owners of such copper mines to surrender their licences to Government “to enable Namibians to reopen and operate the mines for job creation and national interest and security of the country”.
The meeting went on to say that it wants to see a deliberate empowerment agenda by mining houses in rural areas, and said it would continue to advocate for considered efforts from corporate Namibia to contract and benefit youthful enterprises in the services and supply of materials and products.
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SPYL Presents United Front