RUNDU — Swapo Party aims to engage over 1.3 million voters in the upcoming 2024 Namibian general election to secure a two-thirds majority. Sophia Shaningwa, Secretary General of Swapo, conveyed this goal during a recent youth rally in Rundu.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the mobilization effort is critical as currently only 900,000 out of more than 1.6 million eligible voters are registered, with the registration deadline looming on August 1. This was further emphasized by President Nangolo Mbumba during a Wednesday meeting with the Electoral Commission of Namibia, where he highlighted concerns about the low voter registration rates. The president underscored the necessity for a robust electoral process, ensuring that all eligible voters are registered and able to vote.
During the rally, Shaningwa urged party members to intensify their efforts in voter registration, particularly appealing to personal networks like family and friends. She emphasized the importance of having all supporters equipped with voter cards. “From today on to August 1, make sure your girlfriends, wives, husbands, your brothers and sisters all have voter cards. We want to make sure that we sit Comrade Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah comfortably in State House,” she stated.
Shaningwa also tasked regional leaders with arranging transportation to facilitate voter registration, highlighting the collective responsibility of party members to act as mobilizers. She expressed her personal commitment to the election, focusing on ensuring victory for their presidential candidate Nandi-Ndaitwah, whom she described as a seasoned leader worthy of following in the footsteps of past presidents.
Ephraim Nekongo, secretary of the Swapo Party Youth League, also spoke at the event, encouraging young voters to support Nandi-Ndaitwah, whom he referred to as a candidate who genuinely cares about the youth and the broader community. “We call on all the workers to rally behind Nandi-Ndaitwah who will never sell them out. We call on the veterans (of the liberation struggle) to walk with this brave leader who will never compromise the revolution,” Nekongo added.
Nekongo concluded with a strong message of confidence, assuring that Nandi-Ndaitwah would be inaugurated as Namibia’s fifth president on March 21, 2025.