Swapo fires mayor, officials

SWAPO yesterday withdrew four recently suspended Okahandja councillors from their positions on the town council.

Okahandja Mayor Christofine Paulus, Deputy Mayor Constancia Kahengombe, Management Committee Chairperson Hillaria Shilimetindi and council member Johannes Nande were all removed with immediate effect. The decision was taken at a Swapo Party Regional Executive meeting at Otjiwarongo yesterday morning, after the four were suspended over the weekend.Otjiwarongo Mayor and Otjozondjupa Regional Co-ordinator, Otto Ipinge, confirmed the party’s action against the four yesterday.He said that their replacements would be named within a week.Asked about reports that Swapo was considering expelling the four from the party itself, Ipinge said this had not been decided.”There are rules and procedures to be followed,” he said.Earlier this week, Ipinge told The Namibian that the “chaotic” state of affairs at the Okahandja council was crippling service delivery at the town, and that this was the major factor in the party’s decision to remove the councillors.Division in the Okahandja local authority has been prevalent for a number of years, with councillors and community members split in support of either Mayor Paulus or the municipality’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Regina Alughodhi.At one point, Alughodhi herself was suspended by the council.She was accused of inflating costs of repairs to the town hall and paying the contractor without authorisation from the council.Her suspension was later lifted by Regional and Local Government Minister John Pandeni, who said after an investigation that he saw no solid grounds on which to suspend the CEO.The decision was taken at a Swapo Party Regional Executive meeting at Otjiwarongo yesterday morning, after the four were suspended over the weekend.Otjiwarongo Mayor and Otjozondjupa Regional Co-ordinator, Otto Ipinge, confirmed the party’s action against the four yesterday.He said that their replacements would be named within a week.Asked about reports that Swapo was considering expelling the four from the party itself, Ipinge said this had not been decided.”There are rules and procedures to be followed,” he said.Earlier this week, Ipinge told The Namibian that the “chaotic” state of affairs at the Okahandja council was crippling service delivery at the town, and that this was the major factor in the party’s decision to remove the councillors.Division in the Okahandja local authority has been prevalent for a number of years, with councillors and community members split in support of either Mayor Paulus or the municipality’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Regina Alughodhi.At one point, Alughodhi herself was suspended by the council.She was accused of inflating costs of repairs to the town hall and paying the contractor without authorisation from the council.Her suspension was later lifted by Regional and Local Government Minister John Pandeni, who said after an investigation that he saw no solid grounds on which to suspend the CEO.