Shimbulu replaced at Oshakati
Oshakati town councillors have agreed upon the demotion of mayor Katrina Shimbulu to an ordinary council member.
This is according to the Swapo regional coordinator, Erastus Kapolo, who told Namibian Sun that Shimbulu''s fellow councillors had presented a letter to his office on Monday indicating that they want a new mayor.
Kapolo said the council members agreed upon Angelus Iiyambo as Shimbulu''s successor.
Ahead of Thursday re-election and swearing in of the Oshakati town council''s office bearers, Shimbulu''s replacement is the only change in the cards, unless the Swapo Party head office in Windhoek intervenes in the matter.
The party has until tomorrow to look into the matter because by Friday all local authorities in Namibia should have completed the process of re-electing and swearing in office bearers.
Shimbulu is the current president of the Association for Local Authorities in Namibia.
Last week, Kapolo told Namibian Sun that he had informed the three Oshana Region town councils, Ongwediva, Ondangwa and Oshakati, to inform him whether they want to make changes.
“We received a letter from the office of the secretary-general asking us whether there would be changes at the town councils. I therefore informed the different town councils and they reported back to my office and I took their decisions to the Regional Executive Committee and we endorsed the decisions by the councils,” Kapolo said.
He said only Oshakati decided to make a change.
Kapolo said Shimbulu is the only councillor whose signature was not on the letter he had received from Oshakati.
“She did not sign while all other councillors signed agreeing with the letter,” Kapolo said.
Asked whether Shimbulu can challenge the decision, Kapolo said it''s her legal right to do so.
A well-placed source within the council told Namibian Sun that the move came as no surprise, since there had been rumours that fellow councillors were plotting against Shimbulu.
Shimbulu could not be reached for comment by the time of going to press.
KENYA KAMBOWE
This is according to the Swapo regional coordinator, Erastus Kapolo, who told Namibian Sun that Shimbulu''s fellow councillors had presented a letter to his office on Monday indicating that they want a new mayor.
Kapolo said the council members agreed upon Angelus Iiyambo as Shimbulu''s successor.
Ahead of Thursday re-election and swearing in of the Oshakati town council''s office bearers, Shimbulu''s replacement is the only change in the cards, unless the Swapo Party head office in Windhoek intervenes in the matter.
The party has until tomorrow to look into the matter because by Friday all local authorities in Namibia should have completed the process of re-electing and swearing in office bearers.
Shimbulu is the current president of the Association for Local Authorities in Namibia.
Last week, Kapolo told Namibian Sun that he had informed the three Oshana Region town councils, Ongwediva, Ondangwa and Oshakati, to inform him whether they want to make changes.
“We received a letter from the office of the secretary-general asking us whether there would be changes at the town councils. I therefore informed the different town councils and they reported back to my office and I took their decisions to the Regional Executive Committee and we endorsed the decisions by the councils,” Kapolo said.
He said only Oshakati decided to make a change.
Kapolo said Shimbulu is the only councillor whose signature was not on the letter he had received from Oshakati.
“She did not sign while all other councillors signed agreeing with the letter,” Kapolo said.
Asked whether Shimbulu can challenge the decision, Kapolo said it''s her legal right to do so.
A well-placed source within the council told Namibian Sun that the move came as no surprise, since there had been rumours that fellow councillors were plotting against Shimbulu.
Shimbulu could not be reached for comment by the time of going to press.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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