Opposition leader questions SADC observer mission ahead of crucial Namibian poll

26 Nov 2024

While Namibians prepare for the polls in a contentious election on Wednesday, with the ruling Swapo party under unprecedented pressure, an opposition party questions the legitimacy of some SADC observers amid a rise in disinformation.

Namibians will head to the polls on 27 November, but concerns have been raised about the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) observer mission and pre-election disinformation campaigns.

The Landless People’s Movement leader Bernadus Swartbooi has raised questions about the credibility of the Southern African Development Community Electoral Observer Mission ahead of the crucial vote.

Speaking to a Namibian radio station, Swartbooi questioned the involvement of Zimbabwean officials in the mission due to the country’s “lack of credibility” in running its own elections.

“The mistrust goes thick, like in a Netflix movie. As far as we are concerned, the elections are already rigged – the interference of Zanu-PF is worrying,” said Swartbooi.

Zimbabwe’s chairing of the SADC observer mission was also called into question. Swartbooi added: “How is an election observer mission led by Zimbabwe, which has never run a free and fair election, credible?”

Swapo, Namibia’s ruling party, and Zanu-PF, Zimbabwe’s ruling party, are both members of the Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa – a loosely organised club of seven former liberation movements.

Henning Melber, a Swapo member and an extraordinary professor of political science at the University of Pretoria, indicated that Zanu-PF’s support for Swapo was clear.

He said this support was based on a shared agenda of the former liberation movements: to stay in power.

Read more: Swapo could be the next former liberation movement to lose its grip on power

Zanu-PF has also been vocal in its support for Swapo – on the ground and social media.

Ian Khama, the former president of Botswana, called for sanctions against Zimbabwe – including expulsion from SADC – if Zanu-PF was found guilty of interfering in Namibia’s elections.

The chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the head of delegation of the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries, Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba, distanced herself from claims of Zimbabwean interference in Namibia’s elections.

“Any issues to do with perceptions about what is happening in Zimbabwe, or what has happened in Zimbabwe, have no place in the mission which I’m leading,” said Chigumba.

Chigumba and the ZEC have been embroiled in controversy after the opposition in Zimbabwe rejected the outcome of the country’s 2023 election, where Zanu-PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa won a second term.

Read more: Namibian elections ahead — here’s what you need to know

Fact Check Namibia editor Frederico Links told Daily Maverick that there were signs that could indicate a level of foreign interference in the run-up to Namibia’s election – especially when it came to disinformation attacks on certain parties.

“We’ve seen some clearly orchestrated and coordinated activity and the use of social media accounts to spread certain narratives about particular candidates and parties,” said Links.

Graham Hopwood, executive director at the Institute for Public Policy Research, expressed doubts about election observers in general, saying, “They focus too much on polling day and then leave without waiting for the results to be announced.”

Hopwood said many of the observers were from countries that were not fully fledged democracies and thus were not in a strong position to judge Namibia’s electoral process.

However, on Zimbabwe’s presence, Hopwood did note that he didn’t have any information that would indicate their presence would have a negative influence on the elections.

Disinformation attacks

The lead-up to the elections has been marred with a series of disinformation attacks – including multiple AI-generated images.

Links expressed concern over the rise in pre-election disinformation.

“The upsurge in smears against a certain opposition presidential candidate is highly concerning, especially as it appears there’s a foreign influence operation possibly at play,” Links told The Namibian.

Links said smear campaigns were a trend observed in other African countries.

Namibia Fact Check recently published a report addressing an increase in disinformation.

“Namibia’s fast approaching 27 November 2024 parliamentary and presidential elections have become a lightning rod for election-related disinformation that is primarily being transmitted via social media and messaging platforms,” it warned.

Among other false claims, the report detailed an alleged fabricated letter circulated on social media and WhatsApp groups.

This falsified document alleges that a senior Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) official was taking instructions from Swapo’s secretary-general to ensure that the party won the 2024 national elections.

The ECN issued a statement condemning the alleged fabricated document: “We wish to categorically state that these allegations are not only malicious and baseless but are also intended to undermine the integrity and credibility of the Commission ahead of the upcoming 2024 November elections.”

Links explained that it was difficult to determine the extent to which the increase in disinformation would impact on the Namibian elections. However, he said the longer these lies circulated, the more likely it became that people would start believing them.

“This is dangerous because it then becomes hard for the truth or credible, accurate information to break through. In a low-information society such as Namibia, this can have the effect of confusing people as to what is happening and what is important and undermines their ability to make a rational choice.”

Smear campaigns

Opposition party the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has also fallen victim to multiple smear campaigns.

A widely circulated document claimed that the IPC was allegedly receiving funding and support from the UK government.

In response, the IPC refuted the claim: “As the election draws closer, and the fear of losing their power to mislead and loot our nation of its resources, the ruling party and our opponents will stop at nothing to prevent the people of Namibia from exercising their democratic rights in electing their legitimate leaders.”

Nekongo Efraim, a Swapo MP, has doubled down on claims that the IPC did receive funding from “Western imperialists” and that the party wanted to present itself as a victim of Swapo.

Christine Esperanza Aochamus, IPC’s national general secretary and Fact Check Namibia have refuted these claims.

Melber told Daily Maverick that it was difficult to properly assess the impact of “fake news” on social media.

“Namibians are not all exposed to these forms of communication and would therefore not be reached. But being a country of rumours and gossiping, Namibians should be used to all varieties and forms of unsubstantiated, misleading or simply invented and wrong claims and accusations,” he said.

He also believed that there were more significant factors, like “the realities on the ground, meaning living conditions and other measurable and visible aspects of daily life, which will ultimately remain despite all efforts to mislead the most significant reference point on which voters will base their decision.” DM

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