WINDHOEK: The Swapo Party held an extraordinary meeting of its central committee on Saturday, which, according to Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, was meant to carry on the party’s work following the death of its president, Hage Geingob.

The central committee, which is the ruling party’s highest decision-making body, convened for the first time following President Hage Geingob’s death early last month.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said Geingob demise left the Swapo Party with a leadership vacuum.

‘Our nation and the Swapo Party are poorer without the visionary leadership of comrade Geingob. We have lost a leader with an exemplary sense of duty and mission,’ she said.

However, Nandi-Ndaitwah expressed confidence that the former liberation movement will find a solution ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections later this year.

‘During difficult moments and pitfalls in our history, including the passing of Comrade Hage Geingob, which left us without a president, we, the rank and file of the Swapo Party,
have always been able to demonstrate cohesion, organisational integrity, and unity,’ she said.

The central committee was expected to consider the recommendations of the politburo, which met three times since Geingob’s death on the 4th of February to discuss the way forward.

‘In the process, some possible challenges that may have a bearing on our party on how to move forward without our president were identified. However, as tested leaders of the party, we must employ our political wisdom and willpower to overcome those identified challenges, thus enabling our party to fulfill its longtime mission of serving the Namibian people effectively and efficiently at all times,’ said Nandi-Ndaitwah.

She added that the rank and file of Swapo look up to the central committee, ‘which is the political centre that holds our party together to provide leadership and for the Swapo Party to remain more united and strong in the execution of our national responsibilities. I have no doubt in my mind that the central committee o
f the Swapo Party has the capacity and ability to do what is expected of it.’

Source: The Namibia Press Agency