THE Okahandja Town Council has defied a directive from the Swapo party to demote mayor Johannes Hindjou to an ordinary councillor.
Hindjou was elected as mayor of the town on Friday while Hileni Iitah was elected as deputy mayor.
The directive from Swapo’s politburo was to demote Hindjou to an ordinary councillor and replace him with Sophia Upithe.
Gideon Uwu-Khaeb was elected as the chairperson of the management committee while Helminth Maruru was elected as an additional member to the management committee.
Even though Upithe was nominated by Frederick Shimanda of the United Democratic Front for the mayoral position, she did not accept the nomination, arguing that fellow Swapo councillors were out of order for nominating Hindjou for the same position.
District magistrate Khaepriums Swartz presided over the elections and swearing-in ceremony.
One position on the management committee was left vacant after Swapo’s preferred mayoral candidate Upithe declined the nomination from other Swapo councillors.
