Council tensions boil over at Keetmanshoop

TENSION between councillors in the Keetmanshoop Town Council ramped up a gear this week, when DTA councillor Moses Titus and Swapo councillor Basil Brown nearly came to blows at a Management Committee meeting.

A source told The Namibian that Titus allegedly walked up to Brown and threatened to beat him up. However, tempers cooled down and there was no physical violence, the source said.The confrontation at Monday’s meeting was sparked by a discussion on wage increases for casual workers employed by the municipality.According to the source, a row erupted between Brown and Titus after Brown proposed that permanent unskilled staff deserved an increase too, so that they earned more than casual workers.This came after the Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadi, proposed raising casual workers’ daily wages from N$40 to N$55,53.This would have resulted in casual workers and the lowest-paid permanent staff earning the same amount.Approached for comment, Brown acknowledged that he and Titus had nearly come to blows.”It was total embarrassment for me,” Brown said.Titus admitted that he walked up to Brown and said: “Brown, I will bend you in less than three minutes.”But, he added, “it was just a ploy to counter the continuous interruptions made during council meetings by Brown and his allies.”Titus said he had never had any intention of beating up Brown.”I was just teasing him,” he said.Participants left the meeting in a good mood, with the motion on the wage increases set to be discussed at the next Council meeting.Meanwhile, community members on Tuesday walked out of a meeting called by councillors Arnold Losper and Peter Visser, The Namibian has learnt.The meeting was called to discuss options for residents of the Kroenlein residential area to pay their outstanding municipal bills.The meeting did not even last 30 minutes before people accused Visser and Losper of disrespect and left, The Namibian was informed.However, tempers cooled down and there was no physical violence, the source said.The confrontation at Monday’s meeting was sparked by a discussion on wage increases for casual workers employed by the municipality.According to the source, a row erupted between Brown and Titus after Brown proposed that permanent unskilled staff deserved an increase too, so that they earned more than casual workers.This came after the Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadi, proposed raising casual workers’ daily wages from N$40 to N$55,53.This would have resulted in casual workers and the lowest-paid permanent staff earning the same amount. Approached for comment, Brown acknowledged that he and Titus had nearly come to blows.”It was total embarrassment for me,” Brown said.Titus admitted that he walked up to Brown and said: “Brown, I will bend you in less than three minutes.”But, he added, “it was just a ploy to counter the continuous interruptions made during council meetings by Brown and his allies.”Titus said he had never had any intention of beating up Brown.”I was just teasing him,” he said.Participants left the meeting in a good mood, with the motion on the wage increases set to be discussed at the next Council meeting.Meanwhile, community members on Tuesday walked out of a meeting called by councillors Arnold Losper and Peter Visser, The Namibian has learnt.The meeting was called to discuss options for residents of the Kroenlein residential area to pay their outstanding municipal bills.The meeting did not even last 30 minutes before people accused Visser and Losper of disrespect and left, The Namibian was informed.