Walvis council suspends three Swapo councillors
Three Walvis Bay municipal councillors have been suspended for the month of September.
The councillors, all members of Swapo, are Ephraim Shozi, Albertina Nkoshi and Paulus Kauhondamwa.
Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes explained last week that the suspension is based on contraventions of Rule 41 of the Standing Rules of Order and Rules 4 and 5 of the Code of Conduct of Local Authorities.
Forbes explained that a special council meeting was held on Thursday.
“The reason we did so was that there was a council meeting that was deeply disruptive, and some words were also shared. Councillors contravened the standing rules of order. Now, as per the standing rules of order, the council has the full right and duty to suspend councillors for no longer than one month.”
He further explained that they have had recent engagements with the line ministry and the governor's office to restore unity in Walvis Bay.
“However, in the workshop, one of the councillors stated that it is basically not allowed by the political party to work with others or to work with us. Now it's a contradiction. On one hand, we are being told to work together, be united and do things the right way, while other political leaders are telling people not to work with others. You are trying to unite your council, but they have political instructions not to do so. That puts you in a bit of an awkward position as the chairperson of the council.”
He added that they will continue to serve the residents of Walvis Bay.
“The decision of the majority of the council will be the decision of the council as it has always been. We will continue to operate under the standing rules of order and the code of conduct, and as I always say, the rule of law and democracy will eventually prevail. We will operate this council not on emotions and not on opinions but on the rule of law.”
Legal enquiry
In response to the suspension, Swapo party Erongo Region coordinator Daniel Muhura said they condemn the suspension and will challenge it.
“This all started when our councillors began questioning the RedForce issue because our community was suffering due to its operations. These concerns directly affected the community, prompting the councillors to investigate RedForce,” he said.
“They hired a lawyer to look into the matter and discovered many issues. The people responsible for suspending our Swapo councillors did not appreciate their persistent efforts to address or eliminate the problems with RedForce, which other opposition councillors opposed. They even approached the minister, who directed that the investigation into RedForce should continue, but it never materialised."
Action condemned
He explained that before the Heroes' Day long weekend, the councillors received notices about a special council meeting to discuss their suspension.
“They responded, requesting more time to prepare, but were denied. The meeting took place on Thursday, and they were subsequently suspended,” he claimed.
“As a party, we strongly condemn this action. These councillors were elected on the Swapo party ticket, not deployed by IPC, and have not claimed IPC membership. Any misconduct by our party’s councillors should be addressed by the party itself. The authority to suspend councillors not deployed by them is questionable, and we will challenge this decision.”
He added that since Walvis Bay came under opposition authority, the town has become "pathetic".
The councillors, all members of Swapo, are Ephraim Shozi, Albertina Nkoshi and Paulus Kauhondamwa.
Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes explained last week that the suspension is based on contraventions of Rule 41 of the Standing Rules of Order and Rules 4 and 5 of the Code of Conduct of Local Authorities.
Forbes explained that a special council meeting was held on Thursday.
“The reason we did so was that there was a council meeting that was deeply disruptive, and some words were also shared. Councillors contravened the standing rules of order. Now, as per the standing rules of order, the council has the full right and duty to suspend councillors for no longer than one month.”
He further explained that they have had recent engagements with the line ministry and the governor's office to restore unity in Walvis Bay.
“However, in the workshop, one of the councillors stated that it is basically not allowed by the political party to work with others or to work with us. Now it's a contradiction. On one hand, we are being told to work together, be united and do things the right way, while other political leaders are telling people not to work with others. You are trying to unite your council, but they have political instructions not to do so. That puts you in a bit of an awkward position as the chairperson of the council.”
He added that they will continue to serve the residents of Walvis Bay.
“The decision of the majority of the council will be the decision of the council as it has always been. We will continue to operate under the standing rules of order and the code of conduct, and as I always say, the rule of law and democracy will eventually prevail. We will operate this council not on emotions and not on opinions but on the rule of law.”
Legal enquiry
In response to the suspension, Swapo party Erongo Region coordinator Daniel Muhura said they condemn the suspension and will challenge it.
“This all started when our councillors began questioning the RedForce issue because our community was suffering due to its operations. These concerns directly affected the community, prompting the councillors to investigate RedForce,” he said.
“They hired a lawyer to look into the matter and discovered many issues. The people responsible for suspending our Swapo councillors did not appreciate their persistent efforts to address or eliminate the problems with RedForce, which other opposition councillors opposed. They even approached the minister, who directed that the investigation into RedForce should continue, but it never materialised."
Action condemned
He explained that before the Heroes' Day long weekend, the councillors received notices about a special council meeting to discuss their suspension.
“They responded, requesting more time to prepare, but were denied. The meeting took place on Thursday, and they were subsequently suspended,” he claimed.
“As a party, we strongly condemn this action. These councillors were elected on the Swapo party ticket, not deployed by IPC, and have not claimed IPC membership. Any misconduct by our party’s councillors should be addressed by the party itself. The authority to suspend councillors not deployed by them is questionable, and we will challenge this decision.”
He added that since Walvis Bay came under opposition authority, the town has become "pathetic".
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