By: Kelvin Chiringa, Andrew Kathindi
Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has again restrained its councillors in the City of Windhoek municipality from conducting any business on the party’s behalf.
IPC is part of a fragile coalition in Windhoek with Affirmative Repositioning, the National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) and the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM).
However, the cracks have shown recently, with the entire coalition threatening to fall apart ahead of a possible election for a new mayor.
The coalition had agreed on a revolving door policy for positions such as that of mayor.
On Thursday, the party’s national general secretary Christine Aochamus wrote to the acting chief executive officer George Mayumbelo, informing him of the decision.
“Kindly be informed that the leadership of IPC has resolved to restrain all IPC councillors representing IPC in the City of Windhoek Local Authority from conducting their business with immediate effect until further notice,” Aochamus said.
The councillors are Ndeshihafela Larandja, who replaced former IPC councillor Fillemon Hambuda as chairperson of the management committee, Bernadus Araeb, newly sworn-in Jürgen Hecht. The party’s fourth seat, which councillor Desiree Davids vacated, is yet to be filled.
IPC spokesperson Immanuel Nashinge was mum on why the party imposed the restraint order.
Nashinge just said the party would pronounce itself on the matter soon.
“We are here to serve the people of Namibia, and whatever we do is for the benefit of our people. We will reveal the reason in a short time.”
Windhoek mayor Job Amupanda said council will continue working.
This is his message:
“Council will NOT collapse. It will continue to function. Next week SATURDAY and SUNDAY, Your City of Windhoek leadership will begin with PUBLIC MEETING to ALL 10 Constituencies in Windhoek where INDEPENDENT and MIND applying Councillors will be deployed to respective Constituencies to share with you what the City is doing and also listen to you. The Schedule of MEETINGS and VENUES will be in the newspapers and City platforms as from tomorrow. At Each Meeting, there will be a Councillor. This means Councillors will be deployed to DIFFERENT venues at the same time – From Groot Aub to Mix, Goreangab to Eros, Councillors are coming to SHARE and HEAR. Start preparing. Remain Focused, hopeful and determined. It will not be easy, as you can see, but Councillors do want to work and are taking their work seriously!”
This is the second time in less than three months that the party has suspended its councillors serving in the Windhoek municipality.
In August, IPC temporarily suspended the councillors for about a week from all council work.
This came after the party members, alongside Windhoek mayor Job Amupanda apologised for the shacks’ demolition.
IPC leadership came out to say that the councillors had “erred in their judgment to have admitted responsibility”.
The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) spokesperson Eneas Emvula stated the party’s councillors were not informed on the reason for the restraint.
Quizzed on whether the restraint is a concern and whether it could affect the work at the municipality, he told The Villager, “We aren’t concerned about that. We are somewhat worried about the honour that elected councillors give to their roles and responsibilities within the respective council.
“It shouldn’t be a party issue when it comes to councillors. As much as parties might have different views in issues about pushing through development agendas, they usually have the same consensus among councillors from various opposition parties.”
Labour expert and researcher Herbert Jauch said IPC’s arbitrary moves to restrain councillors was anti-democratic.
“I think it’s very problematic practice recalling councillors like that and leaving the public and perhaps even councillors in the dark. Local authority councillors are supposed to represent people in a particular constituency at the local government level. Their mandate and the question of recall should derive from the constituency that elected them.”
He said the party leadership makes its decisions in a hierarchical top-down fashion.
“The local councillors can be shut up and moved around and be withheld from doing their work without any obvious justification. I assume the voters who elected those councillors were not consulted in the process.”
“It undermines the question of accountability of the councillors to the electorate.”
