Okahandja power squabbles drag on

OKAHANDJA Town Councillors have been sent home empty-handed after a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila failed to achieve what they had hoped.

Another bid to oust embattled CEO Regina Alugodhi appears not to have received Amathila’s backing. Over the last two weeks, the Council has refused to accept Local Government Minister John Pandeni’s order that Alugodhi be reinstated, maintaining he could not make an order on a decision that they had taken.Okahandja Mayor Citto Paulus, who insisted on a meeting with Amathila on Monday to iron out their concerns, was tight-lipped on the outcome of the meeting when contacted by The Namibian yesterday.Amathila is out of town, and officials at her office said they could not reveal details of the meeting.The Namibian has, however, reliably learned that Pandeni was told to retract letters he wrote to the Council in which he issued them with instructions, and instead was advised to “recommend” to the Council that they reinstate Alugodhi.The Council, in turn, was told to rescind the resolution taken to suspend Alugodhi “with immediate effect”.Alugodhi returned to office last week already, after Pandeni made known the findings of an investigation by his Ministry, saying there weren’t enough grounds on which to suspend her.Alugodhi had been on suspension for about five months of this year, at the hands of the Council.It is well known that personal differences between Alugodhi and Paulus are said to be at the heart of much of the finger-pointing and allegations of wrongdoing.The Namibian also understands that in the wake of recent developments, a list of people viewed as causing tension and disruption within the Swapo party at the town will be “dealt with” at party level.At a community meeting at the town last weekend, Pandeni told the community that while both the Council and Alugodhi could be accused of flouting accepted procedures, the Okahandja Municipality did not have policy and regulations in place to guard against it.The Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development has pledged to assist the municipality in drawing up these regulations.Over the last two weeks, the Council has refused to accept Local Government Minister John Pandeni’s order that Alugodhi be reinstated, maintaining he could not make an order on a decision that they had taken.Okahandja Mayor Citto Paulus, who insisted on a meeting with Amathila on Monday to iron out their concerns, was tight-lipped on the outcome of the meeting when contacted by The Namibian yesterday.Amathila is out of town, and officials at her office said they could not reveal details of the meeting.The Namibian has, however, reliably learned that Pandeni was told to retract letters he wrote to the Council in which he issued them with instructions, and instead was advised to “recommend” to the Council that they reinstate Alugodhi.The Council, in turn, was told to rescind the resolution taken to suspend Alugodhi “with immediate effect”.Alugodhi returned to office last week already, after Pandeni made known the findings of an investigation by his Ministry, saying there weren’t enough grounds on which to suspend her.Alugodhi had been on suspension for about five months of this year, at the hands of the Council.It is well known that personal differences between Alugodhi and Paulus are said to be at the heart of much of the finger-pointing and allegations of wrongdoing.The Namibian also understands that in the wake of recent developments, a list of people viewed as causing tension and disruption within the Swapo party at the town will be “dealt with” at party level.At a community meeting at the town last weekend, Pandeni told the community that while both the Council and Alugodhi could be accused of flouting accepted procedures, the Okahandja Municipality did not have policy and regulations in place to guard against it.The Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development has pledged to assist the municipality in drawing up these regulations.