WINDHOEK, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's ruling party Swapo has withdrawn the dismissed deputy minister of land reform Bernadus Swartbooi from parliament with immediate effect.
Swapo secretary general Nangolo Mbumba made the announcement Wednesday during a media briefing held in Windhoek.
Swartbooi was asked to resign as land reform deputy minister in 2016 after he had accused the land reform minister Utoni Nujoma of resettling people from other regions in the south of the country.
Although Swartbooi was dismissed as deputy minister, he retained his parliamentary seat.
After his dismissal, Swartbooi formed the Landless People's Movement that is calling for a return of ancestral lands to the rightful owners.
The Landless People's Movement is largely made up of the Nama and Herero tribes whose ancestors fought against the German forces between 1904 and 1908.
The Germans then took over the land from the two tribes after they had thwarted what was known as rebellions.
On Saturday, Swartbooi told an audience during a gala dinner for the Landless People's Movement at Keetmanshoop, about 500 kilometers from Windhoek that he would not stay a minute longer if Swapo expelled him.
Swartbooi also said that he would not hesitate to transform the Landless People's Movement into a full-fledged political party.
After the comments by Swartbooi, Mbumba told the local media Monday that the party would deal with Swartbooi.
