Namibia in 2007

The year culminated with the biggest change to the national politi- cal landscape since independence, with the collapse of the official opposition party as a result of internal differences, while several high-ranking members of the former liberation movement and dominant ruling party, the South West People’s Organisation (SWAPO), registered their own new political party. The SWAPO congress elected the head of state as its new party president. , SWAPO president since the founding of the movement and head of state for 15 years, did not stand for election again. By year’s end, ’s political map was both the same as before and very different. The country’s foreign policy persisted with its Look East orien- tation and the expansion of economic relations with new partners interested in accessing the natural wealth. In socioeconomic terms, the resource-rich country benefited from the soaring world market prices for several of its main export items, mainly in the mining sec- tor. The annual state budget for the first time made provision for a surplus for a second consecutive year, but the mid-term perspec- tives remained precarious in the absence of any meaningful signs of redistribution of wealth.

Domestic Politics

In the absence of any elections, domestic politics were character- ised by spectacular turmoil on the party political landscape. During its party congress on 4 and 5 May, the (CoD) became deeply divided over controversial elections for its leadership positions, elections that resulted in a split in the official opposition (a formal status based on the Westminster model and attached to the biggest opposition party in parliament). Both of the

© koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���6 | doi ��.��63/9789004321571_006 Namibia In 2007 63 two leading founding members of this party, which emerged dur- ing 1999 mainly from the ranks of the former liberation movement SWAPO, had earlier been deputy ministers in the SWAPO govern- ment. At this year’s congress, they were openly at loggerheads over the party’s presidency, with accusations of tribalism and misman- agement being exchanged. Party President claimed re-election after winning the votes of 155 out of 309 delegates in a second-round vote against his opponent Ignatius Shixwameni, the party’s secretary general. About 100 delegates supporting the latter, including three of the party’s five MPs, walked out in protest. They accused the Ulenga faction of manipulating the composition of the delegates. The remaining congress participants continued with the elections and filled all the posts in the party’s top struc- ture with Ulenga loyalists. Further disputes over party property, the portion of party finances allocated by the state and the party’s other assets bedevilled any efforts at reconciliation and the rivalry escalated further into irreversible rifts. The recommendations of an independent audit panel, which sought compromise solutions to overcome the crisis, were not implemented. Instead, after Ulenga announced that the dissidents had been expelled, the opponents went to court. While the matter dragged on for the remainder of the year, the opponents remained in their positions due to an interim court order. Both factions claimed to represent the legitimate CoD. In a surprise move, Shixwameni announced his resignation from the party with immediate effect on 10 December, sparking rumours that he intended to establish his own party. Meanwhile, while the CoD unravelled, a new opposition party made headlines. It was the long expected result of fundamental divisions within SWAPO. These had become visible with the side- lining of the party faction that had in mid-2004 supported , the former foreign minister, as possible successor to Namibia’s first head of state and SWAPO President Sam Nujoma. The rift culminated with the expulsion of former Trade Minister from the party at the end of 2006. Both Hamutenya