Shaningwa, Mushelenga jet to Rundu
The ruling party's squabbles have been attributed to challenges the riverside town faces on a daily basis.
Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa is expected in Rundu today to preside over a meeting which seeks to mend divisions among party councillors at the Rundu town council.
Shaningwa's visit comes at a time when the Swapo Kavango East Regional leadership had instructed the town council to have its long overdue election and swearing-in ceremony of office bearers.
However, the swearing-in ceremony had to be called off because of a fiasco of party politics within the Swapo Party Rundu Urban District, which had resolved last December to recall three of the five councillors serving on the town council, an action the party's regional leadership disapproves of.
The three councillors are Isak Kandingu, who served as Rundu mayor last year, Anastacia Antonio and Toini Hausiku, the wife of Shaningwa's deputy Marco Hausiku. The bone of contention is the interpretation of the ruling party's constitution, the party rules and procedures, as well the Local Authorities Act in terms of who has the power to recall councillors and what process should be followed.
Attempts to get comment from Shaningwa at the weekend proved futile as her phone went unanswered. She also did not respond to a text message sent to her prior to publication. According to a highly-placed source, who is also set to attend today's meeting, Shaningwa will be accompanied by rural and urban development minister Peya Mushelenga, who will be attendance in his capacity as a Swapo Party central committee member.
“Yes, I can confirm that the SG is coming. She initiated the meeting and according to her letter, she will be accompanied by minister Mushelenga. That's all I can say for now,” the source said.
Mushelenga's inclusion in the meeting comes just days after he authored a letter in response to the current developments at local authorities on the involvement of political parties regarding who should be sworn in and in what capacity.
According to his letter dated 5 February, Mushelenga said decisions of withdrawal of office bearers from a local authority should be done in accordance with the law and the minister should be informed by the head of the institution or association or the secretary-general of the political party the withdrawn councillor is aligned to.
“I would like to advise all political parties or associations that in order to ensure authenticity and credibility of the decision to withdraw a member of a local authority council by the political party or association that nominated him or her to the council, such withdrawal should be communicated to the minister by the secretary-general or administration head of the concerned political party or association,” reads the letter.
“Based on the above, the minister will not cause the publication of the notice of vacancy in the government gazette until correct procedures are followed accordingly,” Mushelenga's letter reads.
KENYA KAMBOWE
Shaningwa's visit comes at a time when the Swapo Kavango East Regional leadership had instructed the town council to have its long overdue election and swearing-in ceremony of office bearers.
However, the swearing-in ceremony had to be called off because of a fiasco of party politics within the Swapo Party Rundu Urban District, which had resolved last December to recall three of the five councillors serving on the town council, an action the party's regional leadership disapproves of.
The three councillors are Isak Kandingu, who served as Rundu mayor last year, Anastacia Antonio and Toini Hausiku, the wife of Shaningwa's deputy Marco Hausiku. The bone of contention is the interpretation of the ruling party's constitution, the party rules and procedures, as well the Local Authorities Act in terms of who has the power to recall councillors and what process should be followed.
Attempts to get comment from Shaningwa at the weekend proved futile as her phone went unanswered. She also did not respond to a text message sent to her prior to publication. According to a highly-placed source, who is also set to attend today's meeting, Shaningwa will be accompanied by rural and urban development minister Peya Mushelenga, who will be attendance in his capacity as a Swapo Party central committee member.
“Yes, I can confirm that the SG is coming. She initiated the meeting and according to her letter, she will be accompanied by minister Mushelenga. That's all I can say for now,” the source said.
Mushelenga's inclusion in the meeting comes just days after he authored a letter in response to the current developments at local authorities on the involvement of political parties regarding who should be sworn in and in what capacity.
According to his letter dated 5 February, Mushelenga said decisions of withdrawal of office bearers from a local authority should be done in accordance with the law and the minister should be informed by the head of the institution or association or the secretary-general of the political party the withdrawn councillor is aligned to.
“I would like to advise all political parties or associations that in order to ensure authenticity and credibility of the decision to withdraw a member of a local authority council by the political party or association that nominated him or her to the council, such withdrawal should be communicated to the minister by the secretary-general or administration head of the concerned political party or association,” reads the letter.
“Based on the above, the minister will not cause the publication of the notice of vacancy in the government gazette until correct procedures are followed accordingly,” Mushelenga's letter reads.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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