City coalition holds crisis meeting

Cindy Van Wyk
JEMIMA BEUKES and OGONE TLHAGE



WINDHOEK

The coalition partners on the City of Windhoek council have hit a brick wall over the recruitment process of a municipality CEO, with the majority party, Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), calling for the process to be restarted.

IPC also wants acting CEO George Mayumbelo to be removed from the position.

Namibian Sun understands the coalition partners had a heated meeting on Monday, with Affirmative Repositioning (AR), the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) and Nudo blasting IPC for allegedly removing its councillors without consulting the partners.

It is also understood that IPC’s push for Mayumbelo to be removed was blocked.

Nudo secretary-general Jossy Kauandenge, the head of the coalition’s leaders committee, yesterday confirmed Monday’s meeting.

“I called the meeting to discuss - amongst other things - the reasons why IPC restrained their councillors again. The meeting was attended by party leaders and all the parties to the coalition’s councillors,” he told this publication yesterday.

According to Kauandenge, IPC councillors are not happy with the recruitment process of the new CEO and Mayumbelo’s acting stint.

Lack of coordination

Meanwhile, some councillors expressed concern over the lack of coordination and mutual respect.

Insiders said the coalition partners also agreed that in future, internal coalition management processes must be followed to resolve issues before any party restrains its councillors.

While talks are making the rounds that there are plans to rope the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) into the coalition to replace AR, the issue was not discussed at the Monday meeting.

A coalition source told Namibian Sun that a rift exists between IPC and AR, which is hampering the coalition from functioning optimally.

AR spokesperson Simon Amunime said while a meeting had been held on Monday between the City’s ‘Progressive Forces’, it was by no means to discuss the inclusion of LPM into the coalition.

“All I know is we had a meeting on Monday. There was nothing like that,” he said.

According to him, the inclusion or exit of a coalition partner ought to be discussed by all coalition parties and not just between two or three.

“Dynamics and rumours will be there. What is important is the coalition agreement. Coalition doesn’t mean someone can enter and leave,” Amunime said.

Not allergic

LPM spokesperson Eneas Emvula said the party is not “allergic” to forming a coalition with the IPC.

"It’s just that this information that we are going to form a coalition with IPC is unfounded. We are only aware of IPC meeting with councillors to discuss the restraining of their councillors. I am not aware of IPC approaching the LPM to form a coalition,” he said.

Questions sent to IPC leader Dr Panduleni Itula went unanswered.

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-28

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Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 225.05/OZ UP +1.57% | Copper US$ 3.99/lb UP +0.09% | Zinc US$ 2 453.40/T DOWN -0.13% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.37/BBP UP +1.14% | Platinum US$ 908.10/OZ UP +1.48% Sport results: Weather: Katima Mulilo: 19° | 37° Rundu: 17° | 33° Eenhana: 18° | 33° Oshakati: 20° | 31° Ruacana: 19° | 33° Tsumeb: 17° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 28° Omaruru: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Gobabis: 17° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 19° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:54, High tide: 04:57, Low Tide: 22:58, High tide: 17:16 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 29km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:55, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:14 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:54, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:13 Rehoboth: 18° | 29° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 21° | 34° Aranos: 21° | 31° Lüderitz: 15° | 29° Ariamsvlei: 23° | 34° Oranjemund: 15° | 21° Luanda: 27° | 30° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 24° Mbabane: 15° | 23° Maseru: 12° | 28° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 29° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Cape Town: 17° | 23° Durban: 21° | 25° Johannesburg: 18° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 18° | 30° Harare: 15° | 31° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.87 | EUR to NAD 20.43 | CNY to NAD 2.62 | USD to NAD 18.92 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.8 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.27 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.35 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 18.93 | USD to ZMW 25.01 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 73909.5 Up +0.41% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1516.02 Down -0.13% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12981.98 Up +0.34% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 28224.37 Down -2.87% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 225.05/OZ UP +1.57% | Copper US$ 3.99/lb UP +0.09% | Zinc US$ 2 453.40/T DOWN -0.13% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.37/BBP UP +1.14% | Platinum US$ 908.10/OZ UP +1.48%