VZCZCXRO0544
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHWD #0235/01 2131720
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311720Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0001
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0133
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0213
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 WINDHOEK 000235 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S (ELIZABETH PELLETREAU AND GREG GARLAND), 
AF/PD, AF/EPS, AF/RSA, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL WA
SUBJECT: NAMIBIAN OPPOSITION FEARS ZIMBABWE-STYLE POLITICAL 
FUTURE 
 
THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  NOT INTENDED FOR 
INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.  PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) 
senior officials and Council of Democrats (COD) President Ben 
Ulenga, in recent meetings with Embassy officials, voiced 
their concern that the Namibian government is sliding toward 
autocracy under the continued influence of Founding President 
Sam Nujoma.  Both parties complained of SWAPO efforts to 
manipulate elections and claimed that large divisions exist 
within SWAPO over issues such as tolerating viable opposition 
parties and the crisis in Zimbabwe.  In response to questions 
on the SWAPO Youth League,s inflammatory public statements, 
the opposition leaders described the organization as trying 
to say what Nujoma wants to hear to promote their own self 
interests. Underscoring opposition fears of Zimbabwe-style 
repression, RDP officials were stoned through the windows of 
their car on July 11th while organizing a rally in 
Okuryangava, a SWAPO stronghold.  Nevertheless, the 
perpetrators were subsequently arrested.  The ruling party,s 
demonstrated unwillingness to date to reign in radical and 
violent elements in its midst may give credence to the 
opposition,s fears of a slide into a Zimbabwe-style 
breakdown in the rule of law and rise of political 
intolerance as Namibia moves toward elections in 2009.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
Namibia and Nujoma: Increasingly Autocratic 
 
¶2. (U) On 10 July Poloff and Washington analysts met with 
Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) President Hidipo 
Hamutenya and Secretary General Jessaya Nyamu at their 
headquarters in Windhoek.  Hamutenya stressed that they had 
formed the RDP in response to SWAPO,s slide toward autocracy 
under Founding President Sam Nujoma.  Hamutenya and Nyamu 
described SWAPO and the Namibian government as still firmly 
in Nujoma,s hands, with President Hifikepunye Pohamba 
wielding little influence.  In reference to their own ouster 
from SWAPO,s leadership, Nyamu noted that &all African 
dictators begin by pushing out their peers,8 and compared 
Nujoma to his close friend Zimbabwean President Robert 
Mugabe.  Ben Ulenga in a 11 July meeting with the Ambassador 
echoed the RDP officials saying,  "What,s happening in 
Zimbabwe is only a step away8 for Namibia, and that &SWAPO 
rides both the democratic and dictatorial horses.8   He said 
the reason Namibia has not encountered the same problems as 
Zimbabwe is that SWAPO is still firmly in power and does not 
have to behave like Mugabe to maintain control.  Nonetheless, 
he argued the opposition must move strongly against 
Zimbabwe-style developments in Namibia. 
 
Northern Elections Rigged? 
 
¶3. (SBU) Nyamu alleged that the by-elections the RDP recently 
lost in Eenhana had been rigged.  He said the RDP was 
&shocked8 by the margin of loss and argued it was 
statistically impossible that his party had garnered such a 
small percentage of the vote.  He claimed SWAPO learned how 
to manipulate the elections from Zimbabwe.  He went on to say 
that one way or another, the ruling party would not allow the 
RDP to win.   Hamutenya said SWAPO had stuffed and exchanged 
the ballot boxes.  He also alleged that SWAPO had given a 
party owned printing company*Namprint*a monopoly on ballot 
printing, which had been instrumental in fixing the vote. 
(Comment:  Hamutenya was responsible for setting up Namprint 
and helping it entrench its dominance in winning ballot 
printing tenders when he served in the SWAPO leadership.  End 
Comment.)  He explained that ballots are carried to a central 
location for counting and that remains a serious problem for 
transparency.  (Comment: In an alternate view of the recent 
by-election in the North, a close interlocutor in charge of 
the Eenhana election told Embassy officials he was confident 
that the by-election,s voting and counting activities had 
been above board.  The official related how the SWAPO 
officials present for the counting, including the Governor, 
appeared more shocked at the outcome than their RDP 
counterparts, having expected a much closer race.  End 
Comment.)  Nyamu said the RDP is planning to consult with 
other opposition parties about how to make elections more 
transparent.  When asked if SWAPO would allow international 
election monitors, Nyamu thought SWAPO would permit them and, 
now that there is a credible opposition, such monitors are 
becoming increasingly necessary. 
 
¶4. (U) Ulenga argued that while Namibia has not reached 
 
WINDHOEK 00000235  002 OF 003 
 
 
Zimbabwe levels of corruption, like in Zimbabwe SWAPO 
manipulates elections at the grassroots level by casting the 
opposition parties as tools of the West.  Ulenga said that 
the common people are still very ignorant, so they believe 
whatever the government says, and will not try to find the 
answers on their own.  He stressed it is key to raise the 
political awareness of the people so that rumors have less 
impact. 
 
SWAPO Divided 
 
¶5. (U) The opposition leaders mentioned that large divisions 
exist within SWAPO over issues such as dealing with viable 
opposition parties and the crisis in Zimbabwe.  Nyamu, after 
stressing that Nujoma is controlling SWAPO party matters 
despite his retirement, said the Founding President is 
allowing the party to be taken over by younger, more radical 
SWAPO members, who disrespect intellectualism and have no 
minds of their own.  The Nujoma faction of SWAPO has 
manipulated party elections to downgrade senior SWAPO 
officials and ministers, and some party members are unhappy 
but unable to speak out.  He said there is "much suspicion 
within SWAPO,8 with many SWAPO officials accused of being 
too close to the RDP.  Nonetheless, SWAPO has hesitated to 
oust them, fearing these officials would then openly support 
the opposition.  He also implied that Pohamba would like to 
speak out more strongly against Zimbabwe, but cannot due to 
Nujoma,s continued support for Mugabe.  Similarly, Ulenga 
said Prime Minister Nahas Angula and some at the MFA do not 
truly agree with the public line on Zimbabwe, but do not have 
the ability to stand up on the issue. 
 
SWAPO Youth League*Trying To Please Nujoma 
 
¶6. (U) In response to a question on why SWAPO officials do 
not try to correct some of the SWAPO Youth League,s (SPYL) 
more outrageous public statements, Ulenga described the SPYL 
as &an empty drum8 that listens to Nujoma and repeats what 
he says.  He said that in a recent Parliamentary meeting a 
SPYL member made over the top statements that embarrassed 
Prime Minister Angula.  However, when Angula questioned the 
SPYL member, he replied that as a member of the &radical 
youth8 he was entitled to speak however he chose; and Angula 
subsequently backed down.  Nyamu alternately described the 
SPYL public line as &chaos,8 and said that the organization 
does not necessarily follow instructions from anyone, but 
that Nujoma &likes it8 that way, and if theytake their 
orders from anyone it would be him.  He also described youth 
league members as &running dogs8 who try to say what Nujoma 
wants to hear for self-aggrandizement. 
 
Comment 
 
¶7. (SBU) Underscoring RDP fears of Zimbabwe-style repression, 
RDP officials were stoned through the windows of their car on 
July 11th while organizing a rally in Okuryangava, a SWAPO 
stronghold.  Officials suffered bruises and one sustained a 
broken arm.  Three SWAPO members have been accused of the 
crime and their case has been scheduled for October 23, 
according to The Namibian newspaper.  The subsequent rally 
was moved to a new location after police claimed they could 
not guarantee security at Okuryangava after the stoning 
incident.  The police also announced all future requests for 
political rallies at the Okuryangava venue will be denied*it 
will be telling to see if both SWAPO and opposition rally 
requests are denied.  On a positive note, the Electoral 
Commission of Namibia (ECN) is contemplating new proposals to 
strengthen enforcement of the Code of Conduct for political 
parties and other measures to ensure the transparency of 
elections. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The ruling party,s demonstrated unwillingness so 
far to reign in radical and violent elements in its midst 
gives credence to the opposition,s fears of a slide into a 
Zimbabwe-style breakdown in the rule of law and rise in 
political intolerance.  Given Namibia,s opposition parties, 
inclination toward internal party strife and general 
adversity toward inter-party cooperation, it is difficult to 
imagine the rise of a viable opposition to the ruling 
party,s hegemony in the near term.  Nevertheless, the RDP is 
the most serious threat SWAPO has had to face since 
independence.  Moreover, true to Nyamu,s word, on July 17 
four opposition parties met at RDP headquarters to discuss 
&issues of major common concern surrounding the conduct of 
elections in the country,8 according to local press reports. 
 
WINDHOEK 00000235  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
Mathieu 
 
MATHIEU