Row over seats lands Ongwediva in court

THE Namibian High Court yesterday temporarily stopped Swapo from imposing unelected town council candidates on Ongwediva.

The court granted an interim interdict in the morning following an urgent application aimed at halting the swearing in of a new council that would have included people not elected by Swapo members at Ongwediva ahead of the recent municipal elections. The court session started at 01h35 and finished before dawn.The application was brought by four Swapo candidates for the Ongwediva town council, who argued that they had been properly elected in two party polls.Swapo swept all seven seats in the local authority elections at the town two weeks ago.On Monday, Swapo’s Politburo informed the Ministry of Regional, Local Government and Housing that the four elected councillors would be replaced by people who were not on the party’s election campaign list.Trouble began in March when former councillors, such as former Mayor Erastus Uutoni, performed poorly in Swapo’s internal nomination selections.Ruling party members at the town say the previous councillors were not re-elected because they had angered some of the poorest sections of the community by pushing them out of Ongwediva streets to the new market, where their okapana businesses have declined.The outgoing councillors then lobbied the party’s top structure, claiming there had been irregularities, sources at the town said.The regional councillor for Ongwediva, Kandy Nehova, was also accused of manipulating the selection of party candidates.Swapo head office had then dispatched Labour Minister Marco Hausiku and Health and Social Services Minister Richard Kamwi to oversee a second election after the first was nullified over the alleged irregularities.The second time the process was reportedly declared free and fair.Hausiku could not be reached for comment.Kamwi referred queries to Hausiku.Those eventually nominated by Swapo and elected as Ongwediva councillors were: Julia Nepembe John Kanandjembo Samuel Nanguti Nangolo Auala Angelina Amushigamo Jason Asino Gabriel Kandjengo, and Maria Kavalela.But Kandjengo paved the way for Maria Kavalela to reach ‘gender balance’.After two cancellations of the swearing-in ceremony, Swapo on Monday sent a letter saying the ousted councillors – former mayor Erastus Uutoni, the Swapo regional co-ordinator, and deputy mayor Patricia Kashuupulwa, Angelina Angula and Isak Ndokosho – would have to be made councillors.They will join Julia Nepembe, who was the only previous councillor to be re-elected when Swapo named its candidates before the municipal elections.Deputy Minister for Regional, Local and Housing Gerhard Tötemeyer on Tuesday said he had learnt that the Politburo had changed the “composition of the council” because of “continuity and quality leadership” issues.He added that Ongwediva had been voted the best-run town by an audit of his Ministry.Tötemeyer pointed out that the law permitted organisations to change their councillors without reason.But one resident of Ongwediva last week complained that organisations were as good as cheating by parading candidates before the polls without ever intending to accept them as councillors.Comment could not be obtained from the Swapo head office.Uutoni also declined to comment.But the respondents – Swapo, the Electoral Commission, the magistrate who was to conduct the swearing-in, as well the four preferred councillors of the Politburo – have until next week Wednesday, June 2, to indicate whether they will oppose the application.Swapo’s top leadership is likely to take action against the elected councillors – John Kanandjembo, Samuel Nanguti, Nangolo Auala and Angelina Amushigamo – for taking the party on in such public fashion.Hosea Angula, the lawyer for the four, summed up the argument of his clients:”The people were elected by Swapo, they campaigned, they won and now they are being replaced by the party [with] people who were not candidates.”It is not clear what options the voters have if they wanted to insist on being given the people they had voted for.The court session started at 01h35 and finished before dawn.The application was brought by four Swapo candidates for the Ongwediva town council, who argued that they had been properly elected in two party polls.Swapo swept all seven seats in the local authority elections at the town two weeks ago.On Monday, Swapo’s Politburo informed the Ministry of Regional, Local Government and Housing that the four elected councillors would be replaced by people who were not on the party’s election campaign list.Trouble began in March when former councillors, such as former Mayor Erastus Uutoni, performed poorly in Swapo’s internal nomination selections.Ruling party members at the town say the previous councillors were not re-elected because they had angered some of the poorest sections of the community by pushing them out of Ongwediva streets to the new market, where their okapana businesses have declined.The outgoing councillors then lobbied the party’s top structure, claiming there had been irregularities, sources at the town said.The regional councillor for Ongwediva, Kandy Nehova, was also accused of manipulating the selection of party candidates.Swapo head office had then dispatched Labour Minister Marco Hausiku and Health and Social Services Minister Richard Kamwi to oversee a second election after the first was nullified over the alleged irregularities.The second time the process was reportedly declared free and fair.Hausiku could not be reached for comment.Kamwi referred queries to Hausiku.Those eventually nominated by Swapo and elected as Ongwediva councillors were: Julia Nepembe John Kanandjembo Samuel Nanguti Nangolo Auala Angelina Amushigamo Jason Asino Gabriel Kandjengo, and Maria Kavalela.But Kandjengo paved the way for Maria Kavalela to reach ‘gender balance’.After two cancellations of the swearing-in ceremony, Swapo on Monday sent a letter saying the ousted councillors – former mayor Erastus Uutoni, the Swapo regional co-ordinator, and deputy mayor Patricia Kashuupulwa, Angelina Angula and Isak Ndokosho – would have to be made councillors.They will join Julia Nepembe, who was the only previous councillor to be re-elected when Swapo named its candidates before the municipal elections.Deputy Minister for Regional, Local and Housing Gerhard Tötemeyer on Tuesday said he had learnt that the Politburo had changed the “composition of the council” because of “continuity and quality leadership” issues.He added that Ongwediva had been voted the best-run town by an audit of his Ministry.Tötemeyer pointed out that the law permitted organisations to change their councillors without reason.But one resident of Ongwediva last week complained that organisations were as good as cheating by parading candidates before the polls without ever intending to accept them as councillors.Comment could not be obtained from the Swapo head office.Uutoni also declined to comment.But the respondents – Swapo, the Electoral Commission, the magistrate who was to conduct the swearing-in, as well the four preferred councillors of the Politburo – have until next week Wednesday, June 2, to indicate whether they will oppose the application.Swapo’s top leadership is likely to take action against the elected councillors – John Kanandjembo, Samuel Nanguti, Nangolo Auala and Angelina Amushigamo – for taking the party on in such public fashion.Hosea Angula, the lawyer for the four, summed up the argument of his clients:”The people were elected by Swapo, they campaigned, they won and now they are being replaced by the party [with] people who were not candidates.”It is not clear what options the voters have if they wanted to insist on being given the people they had voted for.