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MINISTER WANTS TO DISOLVE COUNCIL- MAYOR


… expresses concern over Ndeitunga’s statement

City of Windhoek mayor, Job Amupanda, has disclosed that the urban and rural development minister is planning to remove or suspend some members of the opposition parties.

He said these include those of the Affirmative Repositioning Movement from the Local Authority Council.

This is contained in a letter written by Amupanda’s lawyer Kadhila Amoomo to minister Erastus Utoni dated 11 August 2021.

Amupanda has demanded that the minister respond to him whether he denies this or not, failure of which he will approach the court to compel him to do so.

The lawyer has also been instructed that Utoni’s office has intention to divest and, or alternatively declare that all the powers, duties and functions of the local authority council shall be vested in the minister.

“During the early days of August 2021, the Inspector General of Namibia had a conversation with the Activist in Chief of the Affirmative Repositioning Movement, Dr. Job Shipululo Amupanda, who is also the mayor and member of the Municipal Council of Windhoek and duly informed him that he has instructed you to summon all members of the council of the Municipality of Windhoek for a meeting at your office’’

‘’At the time of writing this letter, it is common cause that you have, on the 11th August 2021, indeed summoned members of the Council of the Municipality of Windhoek. In the minds of our client there is a correlation between your conduct and that of the Inspector General of the Namibian Police.’’

‘’In the same vein, we wish to bring to your attention a statement made by the Inspector General of the Namibian Police on the 11th August 2021 in Windhoek when he stated that: “We are going to run over that Council and we will govern that Council”. The fact that the statement of the Inspector General of the Namibia Police violates the Namibian Constitution, as well as the Local Authorities Act 23 of 1992 is obvious for all to see.’’

Amoomo has said these statements are made in a context whereby members of the SWAPO party who act as members of the Municipal Council of Windhoek have on various occasions demonstrated their desire to frustrate the activities of the Council.

Amoomo said this is meant to “cultivate and develop a ripe environment for your office to evoke the powers captured in section 92 of the Local Authorities Act.”

“It is therefore our instructions to demand from your office as we hereby do for an administrative pronouncement on whether: 1. Your office has intentions of evoking section 92 of the Local Authorities Act and; 2. Whether your office is aware of the statements made by the Inspector General of the Namibian Police Act.”

“For the sake of completeness, we have copied into this letter the Inspector General of the Namibian Police so as to give him notice of the content herein as well as the statement attributed to him as captured above.”

“We would appreciate a response to our office on or before the 16th August 2021 so as to enable our office to advise our client. Should we not receive a response before then, our office will have no option but to approach the High Court of Namibia for an order to compel your office to respond hereto.”

Julia Heita

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