A String of derogatory messages Landless People’s Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi sent to ousted Keetmanshoop mayor Melody Swartbooi and two councillors before her dismissal have revealed the irreparable relationship between the two.
The party dismissed the former mayor a week ago after she allegedly failed to ensure that a motion to pass a vote of no confidence against two fellow LPM councillors was brought to the council.
This while opposition councillors voted in favour of the councillors’ removal.
The LPM fielded Melody as a candidate for local authority public office holders during the 2025 local authority and regional council elections.
The party performed well and Melody became a councillor.
A slew of WhatsApp messages and an audio clip of telephonic conversations recorded on 7 May now reveal the party leader’s long-standing frustrations with Melody and the involved councillors.
‘GROW UP’
“We are a team and it’s unacceptable that the three of you can’t get yourselves in order.
We are in a battle and this is what you are doing to the people again.
When will khp leaders fcking grow up?” Swartbooi asked them in messages The Namibian has seen. “Fck individual positions, man!!! The fcking positions are about the LPM. Fk julle almal,” he said at the time.
LPM human rights leader Joyce Muzengua this week said the reason for Melody’s sacking was the vote of no confidence that was passed by Swapo and Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) councillors to remove LPM councillors Annelize Knouwds and Easter Isaak from the council.
IPC councillor Pieter Skeyer brought the motion on 12 February, seconded by Swapo councillors Beata Set and Emrico Blaauw.
Council minutes state that the motion arises from concerns regarding the conduct and performance of Isaak and Knouwds.
The motion was adopted on 7 May and the vote took place on 4 June.
“You were given a party directive not to attend the above meeting, because the vote of confidence was on the agenda.
But you attended the meeting to postpone it and the remaining councillors proceeded after you left and took the vote,” Muzengua said.
LPM member of parliament Eneas Emvula has confirmed the conversation, saying the LPM has been working on developing a working model of opposition parties working with a coalition to further its developmental agenda.
He says the IPC and LPM were in a coalition and that IPC leaders Imms Nashinge and Trevino Forbes were not happy when the motion was brought.
Attempts were made to withdraw the motion, Emvula says.
“However, from the onset, it was the responsibility of the mayor who is the chairperson of council to have ensured it was never tabled nor adopted and she failed in that.
“Now we are losing our positions on the management committee, which is the operative heart of the council,” he says.
Emvula sheds light on the long-standing frustration of the national leadership with the Keetmanshoop LPM leadership.
“These three leaders were called to Windhoek three times to tell us why they can’t work together.
There is something among them that is not right, and they were told they are there not as individuals, but on the ticket of the party and should follow party directives,” he says.
‘MAYBE THIS IS HOW THEY TALK’
Meanwhile, advocate Bianca Boois has described the tone of derogatory messages directed towards Melody as serious.
Boois says the messages reflect the manner of communication within the organisation, and are not necessarily gendered insults.
“This is grave. But perhaps this is how they talk to each other, inasmuch as it is derogatory. Perhaps Melody also talks like that.
We will need four years of record to make a ruling on this,” Boois says.
Melody says she was the only LPM councillor who voted against the motion being adopted in council, while Knouwds and Isaak stayed away.
On the day of the intended vote, she went to the meeting and postponed it, but the remaining councillors proceeded with the vote after she left the chamber, she says.
Knouwds yesterday confirmed the lack of cooperation among LPM councillors, saying there were multiple issues she and Isaak could not find common ground on with the axed mayor.
Judge Thomas Masuku on Monday granted an urgent court order in favour of Isaak and Knouwds, restoring them to their positions pending the final determination of the main application.
The order further bars the municipality from facilitating or proceeding with the swearing-in of any newly appointed management committee members arising from the disputed resolutions.
Bernadus’ only comment on his WhatsApp messages yesterday was: “Frustrations.”
He had in the past insulted a fellow member of parliament, calling Hilma Nicanor an “infertile witch” during a dispute in the National Assembly.
The LPM leader was blasted for his gendered insults at the time.
