LPM directs councils to challenge minister’s authority

The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) has instructed all local authority councils governed by the LPM to challenge the constitutionality of ministerial powers in the Local Authorities Act and the legality of directives issued by the minister of urban and rural development, Erastus Uutoni.

This involves a resolution taken by the party’s political action committee during its fifth session held yesterday.

LPM operative secretary David Eigub in a letter issued to the councils yesterday urged local authority councils to take action by today to decide on instituting legal action.

The councils are also to take resolutions to appoint Dr Weder Kauta & Hoveka Inc to represent them.

“All local authorities are expected to adhere to and swiftly implement this directive without any material deviation,” Eigub said in the letter.

LPM leader Bernadus Swartbooi last week threatened that the party would launch a civil suit against the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over the “malicious prosecution” of two councillors and an official of the Karasburg Town Council.

Swartbooi claimed the aim of the councillors’ arrests and detainment was to disband the council.

He said this would cripple administration and decision-making at the council to such an extent that the minister would have had to appoint an administrator from Windhoek to follow his orders.

“What needs to happen is that civil cases need to lodged for the people who were arrested, and that these things of malicious prosecution could come into the courts so that millions can be paid out to these people.

“You cannot be arrested just because you are appointed,” Swartbooi said.

Uutoni says the involved councillors are disregarding the laws and rules governing local authorities.

The ACC’s investigation came five days after the minister wrote a letter to Karasburg mayor Maria Veldskoen in which he directed her and the council to reverse a number of decisions and actions he termed “unprocedural”.

The two arrested councillors and an official have since been granted bail.