Eba Kandovazu
SUSPENDED Independent Patriots of Change (IPC) Councilor, Ciske Smith-Howard, has now turned to the High Court to have her suspension nullified and declared void, barely a month after the party summoned her to a disciplinary hearing in Windhoek.
Smith-Howard, prior to her suspension was the constituency councilor of Swakopmund. She was also the Chairperson of the Erongo Regional Council. In combined summons filed in the Windhoek High Court this afternoon, Smith-Howard also wants the court to set aside the party’s decision to discipline and charge her. She was suspended last October reportedly facing nine charges, including misconduct after she allegedly “inappropriately” called IPC leaders spineless on a WhatsApp group.
She is also accused of lying about living in Swakopmund, while she lives in Langstrand as well as of feeding party information to the media without authorisation and slamming the boardroom door after attending a meeting with IPC President, Panduleni Itula, among other claims.
Represented by Tshuka Luvindao, Smith-Howard last December opposed the disciplinary hearing, saying it should be held in Swakopmund. She was not allowed legal representation at the hearing, although party members could testify in her favour.
The party, it’s Secretary General, Christine Auchomas, and the Erongo Regional Council have been cited as respondents in the matter. Meanwhile,IPC Spokesperson, Immanuel Nashinge, says the party has not been served with the summons yet.
“This is news to me. We have not received the summons and I therefore cannot comment on this matter until we have received the summons. In any event, this is a party matter and I don’t know why it has reached the media first before we even got anything,” Nashinge wonders.
