WINDHOEK: NamRights’ Executive Director Phil Ya Nangoloh on Thursday denounced the suspension of three prominent Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) members from the party.
Ya Nangoloh said this in a media statement availed to Nampa after the party earlier announced the suspension of Kandy Nehova, Peter Naholo and Merjam Hamuntenya on Wednesday.
According to the RDP, the trio was suspended from all of the party’s activities, pending investigations into alleged transgressions.
Nehova and Naholo, who represent the party in the National Assembly (NA), have also been recalled from their parliamentary duties.
Ya Nangoloh described the actions taken by the top leadership of the party as “Lubango-style autocracy”.
“Lubango-style autocracy is in reference to a political situation of Swapo in exile, characterised by massive human rights’ violations, including killings, torture, mass imprisonment and the enforced disappearance of thousands of Swapo members who disagreed with the autocratic conducts by the top Swapo leadership in Zambia and Angola between 1976 and 1989,” he charged.
The NamRights’ executive director said both the operations and credibility of the RDP philosophy, aims and objectives and rules guiding internal democracy have been dealt a lethal blow, and are in danger of collapsing.
In terms of Articles 30 (2) and 33 (5) of the RDP Constitution, neither the RDP president nor the National Executive Committee (NEC) is constitutionally empowered to make such suspensions, said Ya Nangoloh.
“Problems relating to the RDP political programme as well as issues of national significance must be solved by the National Convention (NC) or by the Central Committee (CC),” Ya Nangoloh stated.
He further explained that in terms of Article 46 (10) of the RDP Constitution, the party’s NEC is only empowered to refer all issues pertaining to serious misconducts, including the violation of the RDP political programme, to the Party Discipline and Audit Commission.
In terms of Article 14 (6) of RDP’s Constitution, only the RDP Discipline Commission (DC), functioning under and guided by its own rules approved by the CC, has the duty and function to institute processes with regard to disciplinary measures against RDP members of the Central Committee, RDP Members of Parliament and all other RDP members, he added.