SWAPO lawyer Sisa Namandje says he informed the ruling party two years ago he would not be available to count votes at this year’s decisive elective congress, but he is available to guide the new electoral officers.
“I have also informed the party that I remain available to assist, in particular with the induction of new presiding officers, if need be, and to provide them with proper guidance should that be necessary,” Namandje told The Namibian yesterday.
“My decision was informed by the need to give an opportunity to other capable and competent professionals in the party to carry out an important task, so as not to have a situation where the party, year in and year out, is depending on a single person as if there are no others,” he said.
Namandje counted votes at various Swapo congresses for over 13 years, a role that allowed him to set the rules and count ballots for would-be party (and thus state) presidents.
His role as election chief and as a lawyer for one of the candidates competing for top jobs in the organisation became a bone of contention at Swapo’s 2017 elective congress.
Namandje first worked as one of the counting officials at the Swapo extraordinary congress in 2004 under now deputy chief justice Petrus Damaseb. That congress elected Hifikepunye Pohamba as party vice president, beating Hidipo Hamutenya.
Namandje then led the counting of the votes at the electoral college at the end of 2004, which decided the list of ruling party parliamentarians.
He went on to be the chief electoral officer at three Swapo elective congresses in 2007, 2012 and 2017. He also oversaw the counting of votes at Swapo electoral colleges for 2009, 2014 and 2019. The electoral college determines the list of ruling party politicians who will go to parliament.
The lawyer said he was invited at the July 2020 ruling party event as a guest speaker at the Swapo introspection conference at the Windhoek Country Club.
“It was at that conference that I informed the party that having assisted the party for almost two decades it would be appropriate for the party to start identifying another person or persons to assist, as relying on a single individual may spell disaster for the party in future,” he said.
According to him, Swapo has now groomed a number of young people – lawyers, accountants and economists – who are capable and who deserve to be given an opportunity such as presiding at the Swapo party elections.
The lawyer said he informed Swapo that he is available to assist the party, in particular with the induction of new presiding officers, if need be.
“So, myself giving others an opportunity is a well-meant move as some other persons are also capable of assisting the party,” he said.
The role of the presiding officer has always been a bone of contention before an elective congress, including fears of possible rigging.
The Namibian reported in 2017 that there was controversy about a proposal to allow delegates to go into the voting booth with the list of candidates so they can pick whom they want.
Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba was said to have supported the idea, saying it had been used in the past.
The proposal, sources said, was also supported by some delegates in Geingob’s camp, but election officer Namandje rejected it.
Namandje’s role included overseeing the congress election, to make sure the process complied with the party’s constitution, and announcing the results.
He allegedly blocked the proposal to allow the list in the voting booth, and threatened to disqualify anyone who would take any list into the voting booth.
Namibian Sun reported this week that lawyer Fillemon ‘Wise’ Immanuel and Joshua Kaumbi are linked to the Swapo electoral chief job. Namandje has in the past faced criticism for being too close to politicians.
A sizeable number of his clients are prominent multimillionaires, business people and politicians of the highest stature, no less than president Hage Geingob and former presidents Sam Nujoma and Hifikepunye Pohamba.
