Swapo Vice President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitiwah, will defend her position at congress against Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Environment Minister, Pohamba Shifeta and Defense Minister, Frans Kapofi.
This was confirmed during a Swapo central committee meeting held on Saturday.
By midday Saturday, only Nandi-Ndaitwah and Kuugongelwa-Amadhila were confirmed for the position and it had to take an election between Kapofi, Shifeta, Mines and Energy Minister Tom Alweendo and parliamentarian Jerry Ekandjo to determine male candidates.
During the election, Shifeta prevailed with 57 votes while Kapofi scored 46, Alweendo lost out after receiving 19 votes and Ekandjo also fell out of the race after receiving 37 votes.
There were only two candidates for the position of Swapo Secretary General, incumbent Sofia Shaningwa and Swapo Oshikoto Regional Coordinator, Armas Amukwiyu.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Secretary General position will be contested by Kavango East Regional Coordinator, David Hamutenya, who prevailed with 47 votes in the election process, along with former Environment Minister, Uahekua Herunga, who scored 63 votes, while Elijah Ngurare lost out after receiving 40 votes.
As for the female Deputy Secretary General candidates, Swapo parliamentarians Evelyn Nawases-Taeyele and Lucia Witbooi won by 54 votes each, while entrepreneur Martha Namundjebo lost out after only receiving 48 votes.
Over 700 delegates will meet to chart Swapo’s leadership fate for the next five years at the national elective congress slated for November.