LPM won’t lead Swapo – Mumbala
15 April 2021 | Politics
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
Swapo has boycotted council meetings where the //Karas regional council management committee was supposed to be elected because it will “never bow down” to the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), which makes up the members of the committee.
The committee - chaired by LPM’s Joseph Isaak - has been in limbo for five months because two additional members could not be elected.
The impediment to these elections was the absence of Swapo councillors, who simply submitted apologies for their absence.
The ordinary members were, however, nominated and elected from LPM members who were the only councillors present at last week’s council meeting.
Swapo //Karas regional coordinator, Matheus Mumbala, said it is unthinkable that Swapo councillors should be led by an LPM-chaired management committee.
“Now you want to tell me, my two councillors, they should sit in a management committee chaired by LPM? How can the minority chair a meeting? If they want us to be part of the management committee, then they must be out from the management committee or two or three Swapo and one LPM.
They are arrogant, did you see the leader in Parliament who said for five years they will not negotiate with Swapo?
“We know LPM cannot move without Swapo but they do not want to form a government. Swapo has their reason why they didn’t attend,” he said.
Waived their right
The chief regional officer Beatus Kasete confirmed that the three-member management committee is now made up of only LPM members.
According to him, magistrate Elzabe Konjore in the Keetmanshoop Magistrate's Court advised that because Swapo councillors were absent from all scheduled meetings after the swearing-in ceremony, they automatically waived their right to be part of the election.
“The magistrate informed us that since they were invited and gave written apologies, they waived their right, meaning they cannot be nominated or elected [to] any position because they cannot affirm their availability,” he said.
Swapo !Nami#Nus constituency councillor Susan Ndjaleka declined to comment and referred questions to Kasete.
An LPM councillor and member of the management committee said it was a very unfortunate situation because for five months the region was in limbo.
“/Karas region now has a management committee and we are now going to work for our people. We were already behind with four months. We want to work for our people,” he said.
Konjore declined to comment on the matter, saying she cannot speak about her work.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Swapo has boycotted council meetings where the //Karas regional council management committee was supposed to be elected because it will “never bow down” to the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), which makes up the members of the committee.
The committee - chaired by LPM’s Joseph Isaak - has been in limbo for five months because two additional members could not be elected.
The impediment to these elections was the absence of Swapo councillors, who simply submitted apologies for their absence.
The ordinary members were, however, nominated and elected from LPM members who were the only councillors present at last week’s council meeting.
Swapo //Karas regional coordinator, Matheus Mumbala, said it is unthinkable that Swapo councillors should be led by an LPM-chaired management committee.
“Now you want to tell me, my two councillors, they should sit in a management committee chaired by LPM? How can the minority chair a meeting? If they want us to be part of the management committee, then they must be out from the management committee or two or three Swapo and one LPM.
They are arrogant, did you see the leader in Parliament who said for five years they will not negotiate with Swapo?
“We know LPM cannot move without Swapo but they do not want to form a government. Swapo has their reason why they didn’t attend,” he said.
Waived their right
The chief regional officer Beatus Kasete confirmed that the three-member management committee is now made up of only LPM members.
According to him, magistrate Elzabe Konjore in the Keetmanshoop Magistrate's Court advised that because Swapo councillors were absent from all scheduled meetings after the swearing-in ceremony, they automatically waived their right to be part of the election.
“The magistrate informed us that since they were invited and gave written apologies, they waived their right, meaning they cannot be nominated or elected [to] any position because they cannot affirm their availability,” he said.
Swapo !Nami#Nus constituency councillor Susan Ndjaleka declined to comment and referred questions to Kasete.
An LPM councillor and member of the management committee said it was a very unfortunate situation because for five months the region was in limbo.
“/Karas region now has a management committee and we are now going to work for our people. We were already behind with four months. We want to work for our people,” he said.
Konjore declined to comment on the matter, saying she cannot speak about her work.
[email protected]
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