A Swapo party member, Mr Ali Kasete, who was for 27 years with that party, chose to join the oppositional DTA party on Tuesday this week. He received his new membership card together with the two brothers, Cecil and Joseph Tjipute, who were former Swapo members.

Briefing media at the ceremony, DTA president Katuutire Kaura said his party recently received 1000 members in the former Kaokoland, where traditional chief and his clan joined the party. Normally the DTA would handle such matters quietly. "However, after that helicopter trip to Etanga recently (by President Nujoma) and it widely splashing an orchestrated welcoming ceremony for former DTA members to Swapo over the television screen, we decided to also do it publicly," Kaura said.

"I don’t need four trucks full of soldiers or a helicopter. I will receive more members on 31st May at Otjivero. I will take the dust of the dirt roads and drive to my people", he said sarcastically. On June 1 and June 8 respectively, the DTA would receive many more members, he announced, especially in a village 50 kilometres west of Opuwo.

He alleged that Chief Tjambiru and his clan, who according to NBC reports all became Swapo members at Etanga, was influenced to do so." He was one of the 47 Herero chiefs not officially recognised by the government. He last year suddenly withdrew from the court case, in which those Herero chiefs fight for their official recognition and joined Swapo. This is all orchestrated," Mr Kaura alleged. From now on, the DTA would also publicly welcome new members, like Swapo he said.