Southern councils unchanged, Karasburg mayor dropped

LOCAL authority elections at major towns across the South on Wednesday returned all incumbents to their town council seats.

At Rehoboth, against the wishes of the Rehoboth Swapo District Executive, incumbent George Dax was re-elected mayor. Dax’s deputy is Cecilia McNab-Sherally, while Swapo councillors, Bonga Ihalwa, Lilanie Uiras and opposition councillor Benjamin Jagger, of the CoD, are on the management committee. Swapo’s Dawid Richter, who did not side with the other councillors on Dax’s re-election, and the DTA’s Katrina Benz were returned as ordinary council members. In another southern election, long-serving and controversial Karasburg Mayor, Julius Kalopa, was ousted by his deputy, Mathew Mumbala, who will be deputised by Frans Gertze. A source said Kalopa’s recent writing off of a council vehicle, for which he had no authorisation, in an accident, probably led to the decision not to return him as mayor.The race for the management committee chairmanship is now between Swapo councillors Alois Amunyela, Josephine Kapiye, and opposition councillors Elizabeth Noble and Hermien Brand. At Mariental and Luderitz both mayors retained their positions. Mariental Town Council re-elected Priscilla Beukes, with Willem Mensah as deputy, and Luderitz returned Emilia Amupewa, with Perscah Mafale deputising, for a second consecutive year. The Luderitz Council elected councillors Simon Haindonga (chairperson), Johannes Valombola and Wilhelmina Sylvestor to serve on the management committee. Jennifer van den Heever retained her position as ordinary council member. At Mariental, Annamarie Gorases (chairperson), Lukas Katuanene, Abel Kaufanua and Marthinus Kotze form the management committee. Josef Swartbooi is an ordinary council member. The annual mayoral election of the Keetmanshoop Town Council is set to take place next week. A source said it was likely that incumbent Mayor Simon Petrus Tiboth would be ousted. Both Arnorld Losper and former Mayor Finna Elago are vying for the position, the source said. luqman@namibian.com.na