WINDHOEK - The country’s oldest political party, Swanu, will this week launch its election manifesto ahead of the November polls, with a key focus on socio-economic challenges facing the nation.
Swanu leader Tangeni Iijambo, in an interview with New Era on Friday, confirmed the party manifesto was completed and will be launched in earnest.
He vowed that Swanu is optimistic to break the two-third majority of the ruling Swapo Party.
“Enough is more than enough so that even an average Namibian who did not go to school or who is apolitical can see for themselves that the ruling party has abjectly failed the nation. It’s totally unacceptable for half of the Namibians to be housed in shacks, which are cold in winter and extremely hot in summer. It’s unhygienic. Hepatitis E is a government-created disease because of those shacks,” he charged.
Asked how Swanu would deal with the informal settlement crisis, he said they would demolish shacks and provide decent housing for the poor.
“I am not talking about eradicating poverty. I have not seen a country that has eradicated poverty. Poverty is one phenomenon that is bound to stay even in industrialised nations, you go to the United States or Canada, there are still poor people. We are saying in Namibia, if our resources are nationalised, we can alleviate poverty.”
According to him, Swanu is ready to participate in the upcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections.
He said they have been calling themselves “a government in waiting, rather than an opposition”.
“We don’t want to oppose people. We want to govern the Namibian people in the right way. We are ready for a government and we have the right policies and right people. Swanu is also a party that encourages meritocracy. We would like to employ the right people in the right places so that the economy moves forward,” he said.
The Swanu manifesto will be launched under the theme “unshakable commitment towards socialism for 60 years and beyond”.
“We will tackle the land question, economic downturn, education, health, climate change, crime prevention, and genocide. Swanu of Namibia firmly believes that its coherent practical and achievable plans set out in the socialist manifesto are similar to the needs, desires, and aspirations of the Namibian people. The regional, global and galactic progressive forces will hopefully heed our call and augment our efforts in this August calling,” Iijambo noted.
He said if elected into power, Swanu will ensure that wealth and mineral resources belong to the Namibian people, unlike the status quo where many mines are largely owned by foreigners.