Martin Endjala
Jan van Wyk rejected the United People’s Movement’s (UPM) management committee’s decision to recall him as the party president.
He lost his position as UPM president on Friday because he did not attend three consecutive management committee meetings.
He was removed along with Mita Pickering, the vice president, and Justin Coetzee, the local authority councillor at Rehoboth.
On Sunday, Jan van Wyk told the Windhoek Observer that there is no reason for him to take any action against what he described as failed politicians who are not members of the UPM.
“They were expelled from the party in April 2023 by a full UPM central committee, a decision they have not challenged until today. Therefore, any action by them holds no water. I remain the President of the UPM until May 2027,” he said.
UPM secretary general, Elizabeth Becker made the announcement.
According to Becker, the three failed to appear and present valid apologies for not attending the meetings.
“The removal of the UPM president, UPM vice president, and UPM Local Authority councillor will automatically create vacancies, which will be filled in an acting capacity by Melvin van Wyk as the acting president and the swearing-in of Esmerelda Izaaks as UPM Local Authority councillor to the Rehoboth Town Council,” she stated.
In addition to the party president’s automatic removal, the management committee accused Jan van Wyk of alleged mismanagement of party funds from March 2023 until his removal.
The loss of income was earned through sitting in the national assembly, under the alliance with the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM).
The management committee also accused Jan van Wyk of misappropriating assets belonging to the UPM by registering a party vehicle in the name of Francis Huish at NATIS.
“The UPM currently does not have the financial resources, resulting from the financial mismanagement by Jan van Wyk and unprecedented removal from the UPM from Parliament, to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) as required by the UPM Constitution to take decisions of this magnitude,” said Becker.
He faces accusations of attempting to deceive the national assembly by falsely representing himself as the party leader under the PDM/UPM alliance, with the aim of receiving the prescribed salary and benefits for the position.
She, however, said the management committee will act for all organs as per the party constitution.
Becker said UPM will not declare a crisis, unlike the president’s previous actions.
On 30 July, the High Court of Namibia ordered the reinstatement of the party’s elected national chairperson, Moretha van Wyk, and the secretary general and national treasurer, Melvin van Wyk.
Jan van Wyk, who was president at the time, was the subject of the court’s order.
Becker said that the police recommended adhering to and immediately implementing the High Court order to maintain peace.
This is until such time that relief of the High Court order is granted through an appeal to the Supreme Court of Namibia, and additional warnings of the consequences of unlawful actions are presented to the parties.
“However, Jan van Wyk and Francis Huish refused to comply with the orders as instructed, citing that they will not comply until such time that they win an appeal against the Court order,” she said.
She said that the Supreme Court granted Jan van Wyk, the UPM president and the first defendant, 21 days to file a notice of appeal, but he failed to do so, making the court order enforceable without objection.
This default has resulted in the secretariat, under the elected party’s secretary general, to commence with notices for management meetings.
