IPC: Open your eyes, Windhoek

Fritz Kaufmann, the Khomas Region chairperson for the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), said their walkout from the City of Windhoek Council was not a spur of the moment decision but an intentional move to emphasise their stand for ethics and principles.During a press conference held on Tuesday morning, Kaufmann said they are not available for a horse race for positions or overseas trips for unproductive meetings to pocket huge sums of money in subsistence and travel allowances (S&T) while the masses die waiting for services to be delivered."How can you, at the end of the day, vote us out constructively amongst yourselves and expect us to stand by you when titles are supposed to be handed out? Titles for what? To travel and going to places while children are playing in sewage rivers in Goreangab Dam and where there are no manhole covers in town, but we go on trips and spend S&T of about N$80 000, which goes into your own pocket. We as the IPC will not tolerate that funding and spending of money when we all know the City of Windhoek is basically corrupt," he said.Worrying spendingKaufmann said he is particularly disturbed by trips made by former mayor Sade Gawanas to Germany and Dubai, while her predecessor Job Amupanda travelled to Jamaica.At the time, IPC councillor Ndeshihafela Larandja withdrew from the Jamaica delegation at the last minute and also returned a whopping N$93 608.94 in allowance money.In October, Gawanas was also accused of having flaunted internal procedures when she attended a three-day agriculture workshop in Brazil, for which the municipality spent almost N$230 000, which was not budgeted for.Gawanas was initially invited on an all-expenses trip, but the organisers changed the details at the last minute and only covered her accommodation, while the City had to pay her return ticket, which amounted to N$62 741.The City also paid an additional N$17 465 for roaming services for both Gawanas and the municipality’s manager for social and youth development, James Kalundu, while the mayor received S&T amounting to N$41 000 and Kalundu N$53 000.Take a standKaufmann stressed that City councillors should be reminded and realise their work should be about the people, not individuals, and urged Namibians to wake up and take a stand on the issues that affect them."Now that we stand up for our principles, everyone is asking how we feel about this. We have to let people realise the municipality is not a private and personal play park. We need people in committees that understand the work that needs to be done and needs to be delivered. Let us take finance. You need a finance person in finance to understand finances. You need a person who knows the laws and by-laws that have been put down constitutionally by us as a people that need to be adhered to."He also stressed that the City has huge problems, which is why the municipality struggles to deliver services, and councillors must stop putting their hunger for luxuries and trips above the needs of people.jemima@namibiansun.com

IPC: Open your eyes, Windhoek

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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IPC: Open your eyes, Windhoek

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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