REHOBOTH ' The Swapo Party's victory in the coming regional and local authority elections is guaranteed and opposition parties, especially the Rehoboth Ratepayers Association, must learn from the past and forget about defeating the mighty Swapo Party.

These were the words of Swapo Deputy Secretary-General and Minister of Safety and Security, Nangolo Mbumba, when he addressed party supporters at a rally in Rehoboth, where he also introduced Swapo Party candidates for the regional council and local authority elections.

Addressing a large crowd at the famous Hermanus van Wyk Hall, which was packed to the rafters on a hot Sunday afternoon, Mbumba called on the voters to beware of some political parties and groupings and rather to concentrate on ensuring that Swapo retains its dominance during the upcoming elections.

'Rehoboth is one and will not be divided by so-called parties created by the apartheid regime of South Africa,' he said.

He said ever since Swapo came to power after independence, it has brought immense development and prosperity to Rehoboth. He cited examples of the road infrastructure, the about 500 new houses under the Build Together project and the two consti-tuency offices as testimony to his claims.

'A case in point is the Hermanus van Wyk hall where we are meeting today. This hall was only reserved for the 'Basters' during the colonial era. However, today we are proud that Swapo Party united all races and are meeting today in this very hall to campaign,' he said amidst applause.

Added Mbumba, 'Let us all go to the polls on the 26th and 27th November and vote for Swapo by putting your cross alongside the 'mannetjie' sign that you are so familiar with. Your vote will further empower your candidates to work hard and bring the development of Rehoboth to the next level.'

Mbumba also used the platform to urge Swapo supporters to be disciplined and refrain from any confrontations during the voting process. He also asked them to wear ordinary civilian clothing on the day of voting instead of the blue, red and green colours of the party.

'As law-abiding citizens, let us all respect the Electoral Commission of Namibia and their call for free and fair elections. So, let us next Friday collectively defeat these so-called opportunistic parties, including these so-called ratepayers associations, in a peaceful manner. Remember, voting is not a war but a competition and Swapo is not scared of any competition,' the minister urged.

He further warned people whom he dubbed 'rogue Swapo supporters'.

'We should be aware of these people. We do not want people who are supporters of the party by day and by night they are something else. We will not be fooled. We want total commitment. I hope that my last meeting's message did not fall on deaf ears.'

The meeting was also addressed by some youth who just turned 18 years of age and are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections. A representative of the youth encouraged his peers to vote for Swapo to ensure a peaceful and promising future.

The ruling Swapo Party who face stiff competition at the town from the opposition RDP, will be represented in the local authority election by Bartholomeus Pieters, who tops the Swapo candidate list, followed by Eve Mostert. Emmanuel Felix, Colleen van Wyk, religious leader Stephanus Tiboth, Sandra Goagoses and current mayor of the town David Richter.

For the regional election, Theo Diergaardt, a Swapo Member of Parliament in the National Council, will contest Rehoboth Urban West Constituency, whilst Swapo's Edward Wambo is challenging the Rehoboth East constituency.