Martin Endjala
The City of Windhoek Council this evening voted Affirmative Repositioning Movement Leader Job Amupanda and Landless People’s Movement Councilor Ivan Skrywer to serve on the Management Committee, after numerous failed attempts by the council.
The two were duly declared elected by the Presiding Magistrate Venatius Alweendo upon their nomination and acceptance. This evening’s special Council meeting was the fifth attempt to vote and fill the two positions that were vacant. Rural and Urban Development Minister Erastus Uutoni had given the Council until tomorrow to fill the vacancies.
Drama unfolded at the start of today’s meeting as the Councillors intended to conduct their elections and nominations as well as proposals of the two vacant Management Committee posts on forms, reportedly as a means to do away with time-wasting and to speed up the process.
This did not sit well with the Presiding Magistrate Alweendo, who reprimanded Councillors and advised that they follow procedure.
Tension ensued between Amupanda and Alweendo, with the latter threatening to leave and never return, if Councillors disobeyed his request. Amupanda insisted that they vote on the forms
“You know how the law works, it is right there in the book on your tables, I will not sit here and debate with you on this matter. No, this is nonsense. What kind of Council Chamber is this? I am not a child, nor am I a politician.
You people always want to be politicians, I will not allow debate on this matter”, Alweendo remarked.
Council eventually followed Alweendo’s instructions.
Amupanda was nominated by Clemencia Hanses of the Popular Democratic Movement who seconded Skrywer, while Skrywer was nominated by Illse Keister member of the Management Committee and seconded by Hanses.
The Management Committee is set to approve the appointment of a Chief Executive officer for the city, as it has been without a substantive CEO for the longest period.
Faniel Maanda is the current Acting CEO, a position that the city council has failed to fill since Robert Kahimise resigned, due to disputes, no quorum and a difference in opinion.
