Oshakati top brass defy Shaningwa

Oshakati mayor Katrina Shimbulu recently undertook a week-long trip to Angola with a council delegation that exceeded the maximum number of officials stipulated by urban and rural development minister Sophia Shaningwa.

Councillors from both Oshakati and Ondangwa were in Angola to discuss twinning agreements with the likes of Ondjiva, Namibe, Lubango and Benguela. According to an approval letter signed on 9 September by Shaningwa, both Oshakati and Ondangwa town councils were instructed to have a delegation of four persons only.

However, Oshakati did not adhere to the directives, with six councillors travelling to Angola.

“The number of delegates from each town council should be limited to four persons only. The councils must comply with the directive of the ministry,” the letter read. The trip followed a formal invitation in July by the Angolan government through its Oshakati-based consulate office to discuss twinning agreements.

A well-placed source told Namibian Sun that the Oshakati delegation, which went on the trip from 11 September to 18 September, comprised of four councillors, an administrative official and a driver while the Ondangwa delegation complied with the minister’s approval by only sending four officials to Angola. Shimbulu was also quoted by the Namibia Press Agency in a story while in Angola saying that the Oshakati delegation comprised of six members. “The delegation includes six representatives of Oshakati and four representing from the town of Ondangwa. We are also joined by a delegation of ten representatives of the Angolan consulate office in Oshakati,” Nampa reported. Both the Ondangwa and Oshakati town councils were responsible for the trip expenses which included transport, accommodation, meals as well as incidental expenses for the delegates.

The outcome of the twinning agreements have still not been made public, according to a source. Contacted for comment this week, Shaningwa said she was not aware that her directive was not followed.

“I have no information, if they got a directive to take four and they were more than that I have no information,” Shaningwa said. Both councils were also notified to submit to the ministry, comprehensive motivations, which include council resolutions and financial implications at least two weeks before the intended date of travel. This recommendation follows the two councils’ request for ministerial approval to travel to Angola which was submitted less than a week before the travel date. Attempts to get a comment from Shimbulu were not successful.

Sources say she is attending the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders on HIV/AIDS in Africa (AMICAALL) Namibia workshop in Rundu.