Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Eliaser Ndeyanale
Published on 2024-03-14 17:00:00
Activist Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, who was once a member of the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement and then joined independent presidential candidate Ally Angula’s campaign, has now decided to part ways with the campaign, as confirmed by Angula herself.
Nauyoma, alongside Job Amupanda and George Kambala, co-founded the AR in November 2014 in response to concerns about land delivery by the Windhoek municipality. Initially established as a pressure group, the AR later evolved into an association in order to participate in the 2020 regional and local authority elections.
In September of last year, Nauyoma made his exit from the AR and joined Angula’s campaign as the chief campaign manager. However, his involvement in the campaign shifted in December of the same year.
Angula stated that Nauyoma’s last direct involvement with the campaign was on December 11, 2023. In mid-January of this year, Nauyoma informed Angula of a prior commitment that required his full-time dedication, as he had been accepted into an honors degree program at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.
Supporting Nauyoma’s educational pursuits, Angula proposed periodic engagement to maintain his connection with the campaign’s strategic direction. She acknowledged the demands of a full-time honors program and recognized the value of Nauyoma’s expertise, even if he couldn’t commit to day-to-day campaign activities.
Despite Nauyoma’s departure from the campaign, his reputation as an advocate for the underprivileged and his political background aligned well with the leadership needed for Angula’s campaign, as recommended by respected figures within political circles.
Nauyoma’s previous affiliations with activities and businesses linked to Michael Amushelelo and the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) were also noted. In November of last year, Nauyoma cut ties with Property Group Save Namibia, a company associated with Amushelelo and Gregory Cloete, due to his political commitment to Angula’s campaign.
Following a fallout within the AR movement in 2022, Nauyoma’s participation in AR’s activities decreased as he pursued causes he deemed important.
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah emphasized the importance of activism in a country like Namibia where some are reluctant to speak out on issues. Despite the challenges faced by activists like Nauyoma, Kamwanyah highlighted the impact their actions have had on driving change and sparking movements.
In more recent developments, the United People’s Movement (UPM) along with civic organizations KG Namibia, Youth Power, and the National Empowerment Fighting Corruption (NEFC) party formed an alliance in support of Angula for the upcoming November elections. UPM president Jan van Wyk and NEFC president Kenneth Iilonga signed the alliance agreement on behalf of their respective parties.
Angula officially launched her election campaign at Katutura’s One Nation informal settlement, where she not only kicked off her campaign but also donated stationery to children in need. This event marked the beginning of a new phase in Angula’s campaign as she garnered support from various entities in her bid for the presidency in the upcoming elections.
Read the original article on The Namibian
