Swakop ratepayers have to fork out for union congress

THE Swakopmund Town Council will be contributing N$1 000 towards the congress of the Namibian Public Workers’ Union (Napwu) that will be held from May 17 to 20 at Ongwediva.

The merits of this decision were questioned by some of the non-Swapo councillors, who felt there were many other more pressing issues locally that would benefit more from such a donation. The decision was announced during the last Town Council meeting and was opposed by Councillors Peter Steinkopf (Residents’ Association), Mrs S Motinga (UDF) and Mr //Gaseb (CoD).They were outvoted four to three by the majority of Swapo members in Council.This is the second time in a year that the Swakopmund Council has made a donation of a political nature.At the end of last year, they donated N$5 000 towards the construction of new Swapo offices in the Khomas Region.This was done at the request of Prime Minister Nahas Angula and “rewarded” with a table at a gala dinner that the Swakopmund Council did not attend.This donation was also described as inappropriate by non-Swapo Councillors, seeing that the money came from the ratepayer and did not even benefit the region in which Swakopmund is situated.Councillor Steinkopf told The Namibian that it was the Council’s prerogative to decide where funds should go to and that there was nothing much he – or any other member – could do except voice their disagreement, hoping for reconsideration from those making the decisions.”It would have been more acceptable if they looked at potential beneficiaries – of which there are many – locally to donate the money to.””Organisations such as Napwu or Swapo should manage their own financial needs instead of expecting ratepayers from towns to facilitate them,” Steinkopf concluded.The decision was announced during the last Town Council meeting and was opposed by Councillors Peter Steinkopf (Residents’ Association), Mrs S Motinga (UDF) and Mr //Gaseb (CoD).They were outvoted four to three by the majority of Swapo members in Council.This is the second time in a year that the Swakopmund Council has made a donation of a political nature.At the end of last year, they donated N$5 000 towards the construction of new Swapo offices in the Khomas Region.This was done at the request of Prime Minister Nahas Angula and “rewarded” with a table at a gala dinner that the Swakopmund Council did not attend.This donation was also described as inappropriate by non-Swapo Councillors, seeing that the money came from the ratepayer and did not even benefit the region in which Swakopmund is situated.Councillor Steinkopf told The Namibian that it was the Council’s prerogative to decide where funds should go to and that there was nothing much he – or any other member – could do except voice their disagreement, hoping for reconsideration from those making the decisions.”It would have been more acceptable if they looked at potential beneficiaries – of which there are many – locally to donate the money to.””Organisations such as Napwu or Swapo should manage their own financial needs instead of expecting ratepayers from towns to facilitate them,” Steinkopf concluded.