Hardap 'fed up' with councillor
Residents say they cannot trust a leader who does whatever he pleases with state assets.
Residents from all over the Hardap Region drove in convoy to Windhoek yesterday to hand over a petition to Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Sophia Shaningwa, to request the immediate removal of the chairperson of the regional council, Edward Wambo.
They said the situation in which Wambo has dunked the region has become “unbearable” and residents of Hardap have “reached a point of no return” in their demand to have him ousted.
In a strong-worded petition, the residents say they are “disgusted” with the “distasteful leadership capacities, mismatching abilities and clear lack of competencies” of Wambo.
They accuse Wambo of undue interference and “indiscreet influences” over the administration at both regional and local authorities, claiming he has over the last 10 years, been persistently absent from his Rehoboth urban east constituency and from the regional office over the last two years.
“Councillor Wambo is virtually a tourist to the constituency he is supposed to lead, develop and represent,” the petitioners say.
His undue interference in regional and local administrative matters has allegedly led to nonprocedural suspensions and returns of town clerks in various towns in the region, while the standoff with the chief regional officer, Yvonne Boois, who has been on paid suspension for several years, drags on.
The petitioners say Wambo “orders and commands authority with impunity” and “completely disregards” the Namibian constitution which he is supposed to uphold.
Enumerating “failed” development projects and “other political misfortunes” they accuse Wambo of having torpedoed a N$15 million toilet project in Rehoboth East, which was meant to replace the bucket system with flush toilets.
They claim equipment on this project was stolen while it was stored in expensive private storage in 2007.
Also in the Rehoboth East constituency, a social housing project started in 2009 has allegedly collapsed and N$2,7 million allocated for the installation of a sewerage system for these houses is alleged to have gone missing.
While the sewerage system has not been installed, the petitioners say the houses are currently “dubiously” rented out to unemployed youth while the social housing initiative was initially meant to benefit the elderly.
The petition claims that drought relief is distributed at Wambo's discretion, that he has unlawfully named a sports stadium after himself, and that he is using private number plates on state-owned vehicles when he allegedly uses them for private purposes.
The farming community in the Hardap Region also accuses Wambo of not caring about their plight.
The petitioners questioned unauthorised purchasing of vehicles and other properties at the regional council and “irresponsible” spending on S&Ts, and the renting of a Mercedes-Benz at N$300 000 while a state vehicle was allocated to Wambo.
“We are fed up with councillor Wambo's lawlessness,” said the main organiser of the march, Bartolomeus Pieters.
“We do not want councillor Edward Wambo to be our leader in the Hardap Region and also never want him to lead us in any part of leadership (whether it is in the Rehoboth East constituency or the Hardap Region) unless he is democratically elected on a transparent, open, fair and acceptable platform and manner in future.”
Dismissive
Meanwhile, Wambo said the demonstration yesterday and allegations against him were orchestrated by “disgruntled people” and spearheaded by former Rehoboth councillor and political nemesis, Stefanus Dax.
As far as Wambo is concerned, Hardap residents not residing in the Rehoboth constituency where he was elected should take their gripes to the councillors they have voted in.
The demonstrators at yesterday's march came from Mariental, Gibeon, Hoachanas and Rehoboth.
“The allegations must be placed in context; these are made by people who have not elected me. How can they come and make demands on projects in the Rehoboth constituency? I am answerable to people in my constituency. Other councillors must answer to their constituencies. My constituency has renewed my mandate, they have voted for me, they trust me,” Wambo said.
He continued: “One must understand who this group [demonstrators] are and whether they have the legitimacy to do so. It is an open secret that some of these complainants have during the elections openly campaigned against me. From the outset they did not want me to be a councillor. Former councillor Stefanus Dax has led demonstrations against me since 2004. He demonstrated against me again in the 2015 elections but I have been victorious; the people have voted for me. What is it that others have not done correctly that they have not been voted into positions?”
CATHERINE SASMAN
They said the situation in which Wambo has dunked the region has become “unbearable” and residents of Hardap have “reached a point of no return” in their demand to have him ousted.
In a strong-worded petition, the residents say they are “disgusted” with the “distasteful leadership capacities, mismatching abilities and clear lack of competencies” of Wambo.
They accuse Wambo of undue interference and “indiscreet influences” over the administration at both regional and local authorities, claiming he has over the last 10 years, been persistently absent from his Rehoboth urban east constituency and from the regional office over the last two years.
“Councillor Wambo is virtually a tourist to the constituency he is supposed to lead, develop and represent,” the petitioners say.
His undue interference in regional and local administrative matters has allegedly led to nonprocedural suspensions and returns of town clerks in various towns in the region, while the standoff with the chief regional officer, Yvonne Boois, who has been on paid suspension for several years, drags on.
The petitioners say Wambo “orders and commands authority with impunity” and “completely disregards” the Namibian constitution which he is supposed to uphold.
Enumerating “failed” development projects and “other political misfortunes” they accuse Wambo of having torpedoed a N$15 million toilet project in Rehoboth East, which was meant to replace the bucket system with flush toilets.
They claim equipment on this project was stolen while it was stored in expensive private storage in 2007.
Also in the Rehoboth East constituency, a social housing project started in 2009 has allegedly collapsed and N$2,7 million allocated for the installation of a sewerage system for these houses is alleged to have gone missing.
While the sewerage system has not been installed, the petitioners say the houses are currently “dubiously” rented out to unemployed youth while the social housing initiative was initially meant to benefit the elderly.
The petition claims that drought relief is distributed at Wambo's discretion, that he has unlawfully named a sports stadium after himself, and that he is using private number plates on state-owned vehicles when he allegedly uses them for private purposes.
The farming community in the Hardap Region also accuses Wambo of not caring about their plight.
The petitioners questioned unauthorised purchasing of vehicles and other properties at the regional council and “irresponsible” spending on S&Ts, and the renting of a Mercedes-Benz at N$300 000 while a state vehicle was allocated to Wambo.
“We are fed up with councillor Wambo's lawlessness,” said the main organiser of the march, Bartolomeus Pieters.
“We do not want councillor Edward Wambo to be our leader in the Hardap Region and also never want him to lead us in any part of leadership (whether it is in the Rehoboth East constituency or the Hardap Region) unless he is democratically elected on a transparent, open, fair and acceptable platform and manner in future.”
Dismissive
Meanwhile, Wambo said the demonstration yesterday and allegations against him were orchestrated by “disgruntled people” and spearheaded by former Rehoboth councillor and political nemesis, Stefanus Dax.
As far as Wambo is concerned, Hardap residents not residing in the Rehoboth constituency where he was elected should take their gripes to the councillors they have voted in.
The demonstrators at yesterday's march came from Mariental, Gibeon, Hoachanas and Rehoboth.
“The allegations must be placed in context; these are made by people who have not elected me. How can they come and make demands on projects in the Rehoboth constituency? I am answerable to people in my constituency. Other councillors must answer to their constituencies. My constituency has renewed my mandate, they have voted for me, they trust me,” Wambo said.
He continued: “One must understand who this group [demonstrators] are and whether they have the legitimacy to do so. It is an open secret that some of these complainants have during the elections openly campaigned against me. From the outset they did not want me to be a councillor. Former councillor Stefanus Dax has led demonstrations against me since 2004. He demonstrated against me again in the 2015 elections but I have been victorious; the people have voted for me. What is it that others have not done correctly that they have not been voted into positions?”
CATHERINE SASMAN
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