By: Kelvin Chiringa
Urban and rural development minister, Erastus Uutoni, has been accused by the official opposition of being part of the problem of disunity and discord at the Grootfontein municipality, where a fierce power struggle continues to rage on.
Venaani now wants Uutoni to stop involving himself with the municipality.
Despite a high-stakes meeting where Uutoni sought to use his influence to heal the divide which has torn the council asunder (as well as dragged the municipality before a court of law), Grootfontein troubles spilled into the public when videos of officials insulting each other over the return of suspended chief executive officer, Kisco Sinvula went viral.
Sinvula has dragged the municipality to court over his suspension, while he has been accused of corruption and roping in a law firm which has cost the council N$800 000 within a short space of time.
However, the official opposition president, McHenry Venaani, has now written a letter to President Hage Geingob asking for Uutoni to be recused from the ongoing affairs at the municipality.
Uutoni has been accused of siding with Sinvula while ignoring the mayor’s letters.
He has equally admonished the council for opting to suspend Sinvula without being consulted.
Mayor, Talita Garises, is adamant that Sinvula must come back to work only after being thoroughly subjected to an investigation.
In his letter, Venaani said, “You will further be familiar with the fact that honourable Erastus Uutoni, the minister of urban and rural development, last week called for an urgent closed-door meeting with the Grootfontein councillors, wherein he ostensibly directed that Mr Sinvula’s suspension be lifted.”
“In a letter seen by my office, the allegations levelled against Mr Sinvula include inter alia; insubordination, abuse of power, violation of the Procurement Act 15 of 2015, violation of the Local Authority Act 23 of 1992 (as amended), forgery, misinterpretation, negligent trading. intimidation and threat of violence, misuse of public funds, fraud and corruption.”
Venaani has criticised the urban and rural development minister for doing little to quell the tension and conflict within the Grootfontein municipal council.
He said Utoni has taken an unresponsive approach to matters when the town of Grootfontein went for two months without a functioning council and that he only became involved following the suspension of the corruption-accused, Sinvula.
“Moreover, I have it on good authority that the minister is entangled in various dubious activities, such as shady business dealings through proxies and land grabbing in the town of Grootfontein.
“As a result of this internal division and tension within the council and the minister’s alleged dubious dealings, the council is on the verge of disintegration. The residents of Grootfontein are left to bear the brunt of this, owing to the town’s development being halted. Service delivery to residents has been compromised.”
“Therefore, Your Excellency, whilst I shall always uphold and champion the rule of law and respect the channels of systems, institutions and processes. I impress upon you to request the minister, honourable Uutoni, to recuse himself from the affairs of the Grootfontein Municipal Council owing to the shocking and serious allegations of the minister’s shonky political goings-on and his lack of impartiality,” he said.
