The Swapo Party in the ||Kharas Region has rubbished speculations that some of its leadership backs independent candidate Gerrit Witbooi rather than the party's candidate Elias !Kharuxab in the upcoming by-election.

The by-election in the Keetmanshoop Rural Constituency, which is necessitated by the recent withdrawal of Witbooi by the Landless People's Movement (LPM) as Regional Councillor, is slated for May 15.

Addressing a media conference, the regional coordinator, Mathew Mumbala, stressed that the party has only one candidate, Elias !Kharuxab, who has the backing of all cadres.

"There is no second candidate of the Swapo Party for the upcoming by-election. Whoever says we have two candidates is unfit and might be mentally or politically drunk. He or she needs to consult medical doctors for help. All the party leadership of the Swapo Party, including the national, regional, district, and branches, fully supports comrade as the only and only Swapo Party."

Mumbala says Speculations are rife that the party's regional leadership, including Mumbala, a member of the party's Central Committee, Laurencia Stephanus, and the ||Kharas Governor, are secretly working against the party to see an independent candidate win.

"This is emanating from the internal campaign for the 2022 Congress; that's why they say those who were maybe not supporting the current vice president are not supporting the candidate Elias because he was supporting the vice president, which is totally wrong. We clear this thing, that is when it is internal. Internally, no one has the right to force anybody to support anybody; that's internal. I mean, yeah, but when it comes to the outside, you cannot be my friend; you cannot be, as much as you're fielded by the party as a candidate, we have to toe the line."

Stephanus, who also attended the media briefing, expressed her full backing for !Kharuxab as the party candidate.

"We support our sole and authentic candidate, comrade Elias !Kharuxab, the only Swapo Party candidate for the Keetmanshoop Rural Constituency, any other person who is biting the story to say or they were roped in by comrade Stephanus and are not supporting the candidate, must have read the wrong newspaper."