Special City Council meeting postponed

A SPECIAL meeting of the Windhoek City Council to discuss a possible contract renewal for Windhoek’s Chief Executive Officer Niilo Taapopi, which was scheduled for yesterday, has been postponed ‘indefinitely’.

‘We received letters earlier this week that the meeting has been postponed indefinitely and no new date has been set so far,’ councillor Nico Smit told The Namibian yesterday. Smit represents the Republican Party (RP) in the council. Taapopi’s five-year contract ends on June 7 and according to a clause in the contract, the City Council must decide on a renewal three months before that date – by March 7. If that is not done, the contract could be automatically renewed. There is also a provision in the contract which stipulates that Taapopi must notify the Council’s management committee before its next monthly meeting that his contract expires in June. The council will then have 37 days to make a final decision, The Namibian has reliably learnt.Some of the 15 town councillors would like to see the CEO’s post advertised to allow for a transparent process and give Taapopi the option to re-apply.His initial appointment is said to have been done unprocedurally.It was apparently the wish of former President Sam Nujoma that he should get the job in June 2004. This did not go down well with some city councillors, especially those from opposition ranks.The differing opinions among councillors about Taapopi’s contract renewal, including some Swapo members who are said to favour advertising the post instead of automatic renewal, is said to be the reason for the sudden withdrawal of four Swapo councillors by the party last week, including Mayor Matheus Shikongo. The reason given was alleged ‘(Swapo) constitutional misconduct’, but no details were provided. The other three councillors are Linnea Shaetonhodi, Hileni Ilonga and Dr Björn von Finckenstein. Swapo Secretary General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana held an emergency meeting last Friday at the Swapo headquarters on the issue and promised their reinstatement ‘with immediate effect’. Letters to that effect are still outstanding. Mayor Shikongo was present at that meeting.The withdrawal was executed by the Swapo Khomas Regional Executive, which should only have made a recommendation to the Swapo national leadership. This unprocedural action by the Khomas executive has caused a huge embarrassment to Swapo.Meanwhile, Taapopi contacted The Namibian yesterday to say that he was not present at a Swapo meeting on Saturday, as reported in The Namibian yesterday. ‘I was in Tsumeb last Saturday and thus not at the Windhoek meeting of the party,’ Taapopi said.