Land scandal may unsettle Namibia poll

These elections will see opposition parties hoping to cash in on Swapos shortcomings.

Safe as house: Despite widespread dissatisfaction, Swapo supporters, pictured here during a campaign rally in Windhoek, look set to deliver another resounding victory to the ruling party. Photo: Jordaania Andima/AFP

Swapos overwhelming majority could suffer in the Namibian elections scheduled for Friday November 28, in the wake of a rebellion among its youth wing members over the sensitive issue of land.

The backlash started when the ruling party suspended its youth league spokesperson, Job Amupanda, after he had grabbed land in one of Windhoeks upmarket suburbs.

Amupanda moved on to a vacant lot in Kleine Kuppe, which he named Erf 2014, and started clearing the ground. He was protesting against the Windhoek city councils allocation of plots to well-off individuals at discounted prices.

Citing affirmative land repositioning, he also mobilised large numbers of landless people to apply to the council for plots, warning that there would be unrest unless they received a favourable response.

Last week, hundreds of people gathered at the councils offices to submit 14000 applications for land. The municipality was given a July 2015 deadline to respond.

Amupanda, a fan of Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, has captured the hearts of many landless Namibians with his stance.

This land uproar comes after the Windhoek council recently sold a plot to the Big Brother Africa 2013 winner, Dillish Mathews, at a discount.

Discounts for family Another plot valued at R8-million was sold to the son of the citys mayor, Agnes Kafula, for R5-million last year. It has also been reported by the Namibian that Kafula sold herself a N$1-million plot in Kleine Kuppe for only N$600000.

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Land scandal may unsettle Namibia poll