Drama at Oshakati council meeting
The management committee chairman of the Oshakati town council lost his temper when councillors disagreed with a committee recommendation.
Oshakati mayor Angelus Iiyambo had to adjourn Thursday's council meeting for about ten minutes after tempers flared.
The drama started when the council had to make a resolution on granting seven developers 100 plots each to build houses on.
DTA councillor Linus Tobias said giving 100 plots to a single developer was not ideal. He proposed that developers should get 40 plots and based on their performance they could get more if there was still land available.
Tobias pointed out that in the past the council used to grant only 10 to 20 plots to a developer.
Mayor Iiyambo supported Tobias's idea.
Councillor Louise Shivolo disagreed, suggesting that 70 plots was a better number.
The chairperson of the management committee, Gabriel Kamwanka, then stood up and said in an aggressive tone that 100 plots must be given to each of the seven developers because the management committee had thought it through.
Kamwanka said the seven developers are locals and have been supporting the council's activities.
“When the Oshakati town council needs assistance we turn to these business people and they help us, therefore they must be given the 100 plots each,” Kamwanka said.
He added that the council was elected by the people to manage the town's affairs and they should make their own decisions instead of waiting for the line minister to make it for them.
He was supported by the deputy chairman of the management committee, Johannes Shilongo, who said the committee had already considered the matter.
Shilongo said the council only had about three years left before the next elections and they should leave a legacy of developing the town in the remaining time.
Just after Shilongo spoke, Iiyambo adjourned the meeting and instructed all councillors to follow him to his office.
Kamwanka at first refused to go, questioning the mayor's power to call them to his office. Iiyambo then said as the chairperson of the meeting he had the power to adjourn or postpone the meeting.
The councillors then followed him to his office and later returned to the meeting.
Iiyambo then asked Shivolo to repeat her suggestion of allocating 70 plots per developer, which Shilongo seconded.
KENYA KAMBOWE
The drama started when the council had to make a resolution on granting seven developers 100 plots each to build houses on.
DTA councillor Linus Tobias said giving 100 plots to a single developer was not ideal. He proposed that developers should get 40 plots and based on their performance they could get more if there was still land available.
Tobias pointed out that in the past the council used to grant only 10 to 20 plots to a developer.
Mayor Iiyambo supported Tobias's idea.
Councillor Louise Shivolo disagreed, suggesting that 70 plots was a better number.
The chairperson of the management committee, Gabriel Kamwanka, then stood up and said in an aggressive tone that 100 plots must be given to each of the seven developers because the management committee had thought it through.
Kamwanka said the seven developers are locals and have been supporting the council's activities.
“When the Oshakati town council needs assistance we turn to these business people and they help us, therefore they must be given the 100 plots each,” Kamwanka said.
He added that the council was elected by the people to manage the town's affairs and they should make their own decisions instead of waiting for the line minister to make it for them.
He was supported by the deputy chairman of the management committee, Johannes Shilongo, who said the committee had already considered the matter.
Shilongo said the council only had about three years left before the next elections and they should leave a legacy of developing the town in the remaining time.
Just after Shilongo spoke, Iiyambo adjourned the meeting and instructed all councillors to follow him to his office.
Kamwanka at first refused to go, questioning the mayor's power to call them to his office. Iiyambo then said as the chairperson of the meeting he had the power to adjourn or postpone the meeting.
The councillors then followed him to his office and later returned to the meeting.
Iiyambo then asked Shivolo to repeat her suggestion of allocating 70 plots per developer, which Shilongo seconded.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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