Okahandja councillors defiant

Swapo Party secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa has summoned the party's representatives on the Okahandja town council to a meeting this afternoon at the party headquarters in Windhoek.

In a letter to Swapo Party Otjozondjupa regional coordinator Susan Hikopua, Shaningwa requested her to inform the councillors to attend the meeting, which is expected to start around 13:30.

“You are expected to inform all the local authority councillors on the Swapo Party ticket on the Okahandja town council. Additionally, the regional coordinator, the district coordinator and the regional governor are invited to the same meeting,” Shaningwa's letter reads.

Hikopua yesterday confirmed the authenticity of the letter but could not say what the meeting was about.

Shaningwa's letter was dated 15 February: the same day that the Okahandja council elected new office bearers. Johannes 'Congo' Hindjou was re-elected as mayor of Okahandja in defiance of the party's directive that Sophia Upithe be elected. Shaningwa had directed that Hindjou be demoted to an ordinary council member.

According to a Nampa report, Upithe was nominated by the Popular Democratic Movement's Sylvia Karuuombe and was seconded by United Democratic Front councillor Frederick Shimanda.

Upithe refused to accept the nomination because it was made by an opposition councillor instead of a Swapo member.

Karuuombe then retracted her nomination. Hindjou was then nominated by Helmi Maruru and seconded by Hileni Iita, both of Swapo.

He accepted the nomination and was subsequently sworn in as mayor of Okahandja.

Hindjou is deputised by Iita, while Gideon Uwu-Khaeb was sworn in as the chairperson of the council's management committee.

Maruru is the additional member of the management committee.

One position on the management committee was left vacant after Upithe rejected another nomination.

Hindjou could not be reached for comment.





The Okahandja Swapo councillors' defiance of Shaningwa's directive came just days after the party had withdrawn three of its councillors from the Rundu town council for ignoring a similar directive.

In the case of Rundu, the party's directive was that no changes be made to the structure and that Verna Sinimbo must retain her mayoral position.





Despite that, Isaak Kandingu was elected as mayor, deputised by Toini Hausiku, the wife of Shaningwa's deputy, Marco Hausiku.

Anastasia Shinduvi was elected as chairperson of the management committee while All People's Party (APP) councillor Matheus Wakudumo was sworn in as a member of the management committee.

Swapo then recalled three from the council and replaced them with Johanna Kakondo, Ngondo Johannes and Sarafina Kandere.

The three recalled councillors' lawyer, Kadhila Amoomo, wrote a letter to Shaningwa claiming that the recall was unlawful because the necessary procedures had not been followed.



“We now, therefore, demand that you cease and desist from any action withdrawing our clients from office as councillors immediately,” the letter reads.



“We further demand that you provide an undertaking that you will not persist [with] any further action intended to enforce your aforesaid decision. Should we not receive the aforesaid undertaking by 12:00 on 15 February 2019, our clients shall approach the High Court for appropriate relief.”

Lawyer Dirk Conradie, representing Shaningwa, said in his response to Amoomo that he was waiting for instructions from his client, which would only be ready by tomorrow.

Conradie indicated that Shaningwa was out of town.

Amoomo then responded that Conradie must put it in writing that until he received instructions from Shaningwa, the decision to withdraw the three councillors would not be implemented.

- Additional reporting by Nampa

KENYA KAMBOWE