From protest to power: #ShutItAllDown movement transforms into political force for Namibia’s future

By Dilia Mazula

The #Shutitalldown movement, originally known for its groundbreaking protest in October 2020 following the tragic death of 22-year-old Shannon Wasserfall, whose remains were reportedly found buried in a shallow grave 6 months after she went missing, recently announced its transition from a grassroots advocacy group to a political party, aiming to actively participate in Namibia’s 2024 parliamentary elections. 

Speaking to Future Media News, Ndilokelwa Nthengwe, an activist from the movement said that despite the transition, they will continue advocating for victims of sexual and gender-based violence and rape, while also tackling other issues that affect Namibia’s democracy. 

Explaining the shift in focus, Nthengwe pointed out the limitations associated with NGOs, such as the constant need for funding and the requirement to maintain ongoing programs, saying “we thought it’s befitting to become a political party for the sole purpose of occupying parliamentary seats and influence policies and legislation in the country, particularly women’s issues, sexual, gender and sex minorities issues”.. 

With elections slated for end of 2024, the #Shutitalldown though is not yet registered under the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).  

Aware of the electoral regulations, Nthengwe acknowledged: “the aim is for us to be registered on time before the election so that we can have our name on in the ballot for parliamentary seats,” adding that the party will not be running for presidency. 

“We have been to the ECN already and received the documentation for the steps that we need to take in order to register into a political party,” said Nthengwe. 

She further outlined ECN’s party registration requirements, saying: “you need to get at least 3500 signatures in seven different regions, and at the same time we need to pay a fee of about 25,000 Namibian dollars to the Ministry of Finance. So, we have done all that research for us to understand what it will take.” 

Noting the potential delays in being officially registered in time for this year’s elections, she commented: “if it doesn’t come to pass, then I suppose we will persist in our efforts, register as a party, and await approximately another five years before we can participate in the electoral process.”   

Nthengwe listed some of the policies that the movement wants to advocate for once they are in parliament, one of them being the Abortion and Stabilization Act of 1975, “we aim to make it a central policy point, advocate for amendments in parliament to ensure lasting changes to the law,” she said. 

Nthenwe says the movement would like to also advocate for equity, noting it to be nonexistent now, “when we’re looking at sexual and gender minorities, we don’t have any statistics around how they are, who they are, where they live. We don’t have a consensus. We recently completed a national consensus last year, and I was particularly curious to know, what are the questions for inclusion when we are looking at sexual, gender, sex minorities? ”.. 

The party, she explained, has also put out questionnaires asking Namibians to share what they expect from the party’s manifesto. 

The #Shutitall down party is taking a nuanced approach to politics, envisioning a scenario where their impact on democracy is significant enough to shift the focus from accumulating political seats to effectively influencing change and exiting when objectives are achieved, said Nthengwe, highlighting that “the movement’s journey into politics represents a unique fusion of advocacy and political engagement, with an unwavering commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable Namibia.”