Former trade and industry minister Jesaya Nyamu, who before also held the mining portfolio, set a letter he received from SWAPO to notify him of his expulsion, on fire and literally made it go up in smoke. Jesaya was fired and "excommunicated" from the political party via a press statement signed by party boss Sam Nujoma and sent to the media last week. Nyamu, a member of the 21-member party polit buro, set the document aflame during a hastily convened press conference at his house in the Windhoek suburb of Ludwigsdorf on Tuesday. He claimed he never had the chance to defend himself of accusations. Five pages of scribbled notes in his handwriting were stolen from his ministerial office drawer a year ago. He had written on them that ministers could resign by one from Cabinet "to weaken the Pohamba government" or start a new political party (to challenge Nujoma). These notes caused Nyamu’s expulsion. In Tuesday, he said Nujoma himself was allegedly an "imperialist", the way he handled SWAPO business. This is the first time that a prominent (former) SWAPO member spoke out against Nujoma, clearly a sign of a split in the party, according to analysts.