IPC ghost haunts Ciske

Mathias HaufikuWINDHOEKDespite being expelled from the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) political stable, Ciske Smith-Howard still has legal battles linked to the party around her neck.She still has to answer to a defamation case instituted against her by IPC councillor Sifried Garoeb, who represents the party on the Henties Bay council. Garoeb is suing his former party counterpart for N$350 000 after she allegedly defamed him during a media interview last year.Smith-Howard, during an Evening Review interview, accused Garoeb of having stolen from the Henties Bay council where he was employed between 2011 and 2018. “The IPC councillor in Henties Bay had seemingly stolen from his council while he was an employee at the municipality and they then relieved him of his duties in 2018 after an investigation found that he was guilty. According to me, I strongly feel that we cannot make the thief the head of the institution from which he stole,” she said at the time. Garoeb now feels the remarks paint him in a bad light and are damaging to his public image.‘Irresponsible’Part of the documents submitted to court by his legal team include a police certificate of conduct which shows that there are no convictions against him, as well as a certificate of service from the municipality indicating that he left the institution voluntarily by resigning.According to Garoeb’s lawyer: “The false statements, insinuations, innuendos and suggestions about or concerning the plaintiff were irresponsible, defamatory, unlawful, wrongful and untruthful and were intended by [Smith-Howard] to infringe his dignity and damage his reputation and, in the eyes of the viewers of the Evening Review, create the impression that the plaintiff is a convicted criminal who was dismissed as an employee of the Henties Bay municipal authority”.Garoeb said he is a respected member in his community, an activist and an elected member of the Henties Bay local authority.Housebreaking caseThe former Erongo regional council chairperson, Smith-Howard was expelled from IPC last month.She is not the only politician being sued by Garoeb - Henties Bay mayor Lewies Vermaak is also facing a lawsuit instituted against him by the 31-year-old activist. Last year, Vermaak was quoted inThe Namibian as saying: “I found out this week he was also involved in a housebreaking incident, and there is a High Court case... The housebreaking case is still ongoing. That is where we draw the line and said I cannot work with IPC any more if they cannot remove this guy from council. I am sorry; I cannot put my party at risk”. Garoeb – who is represented by lawyer Henry Shimutwikeni in both cases - is suing Vermaak, a Republican Party councillor, for N$200 000.

IPC ghost haunts Ciske

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-01

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IPC ghost haunts Ciske

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-01

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