Swapo councillors finally take the oath at Karibib

THE swearing in of members of the Karibib Town Council was finally completed yesterday, more than two weeks after the Local Authority election, when the outstanding three Swapo candidates took the oath before a Magistrate.

Two of the candidates sworn in yesterday were placed in sixth and seventh positions on the original list. They are Adelheid Hamukonda and Adelheid Swartbooi who came third and second respectively when the Karibib branch voted again for the list.The number one candidate to be sworn in, Petrus Nabot, was third on the original list.Swapo supporters have been divided over the party’s candidates list for councillors after the candidates were apparently shuffled around at the last minute.The Magistrate in charge of the swearing in ceremony rejected the list and only the four opposition candidates (two from the UDF, one from DTA and one from the CoD) were sworn in.A branch conference was called to sort out the list, but according to a source close to the party the organisation and voting was not done according to the Swapo constitution.”There is still unhappiness among Swapo ranks over the new list.”The source said that after the voting candidates were again moved around as the top three candidates were all Oshiwambo-speaking.Former Mayor of Karibib, Melanie Ndjago, who was in the number one spot on the original list, allegedly came third on the new list.She was then moved to fourth to make place for Swartbooi.Karibib CEO Lourens Hoëseb said yesterday that only the Deputy Mayor position was still available to one of the Swapo candidates.The new Mayor is Frans !Aoxumub of the UDF, and the three members of the Management Committee are Gottfridine Nguherimo-Kafida from the DTA as Chairperson, Karools Swartz of the CoD as Vice Chairperson and Yvonne Skini of the UDF as additional member.According to the CEO, the Deputy Mayor would be elected at the next Council meeting at the end of June.They are Adelheid Hamukonda and Adelheid Swartbooi who came third and second respectively when the Karibib branch voted again for the list.The number one candidate to be sworn in, Petrus Nabot, was third on the original list.Swapo supporters have been divided over the party’s candidates list for councillors after the candidates were apparently shuffled around at the last minute.The Magistrate in charge of the swearing in ceremony rejected the list and only the four opposition candidates (two from the UDF, one from DTA and one from the CoD) were sworn in.A branch conference was called to sort out the list, but according to a source close to the party the organisation and voting was not done according to the Swapo constitution.”There is still unhappiness among Swapo ranks over the new list.”The source said that after the voting candidates were again moved around as the top three candidates were all Oshiwambo-speaking.Former Mayor of Karibib, Melanie Ndjago, who was in the number one spot on the original list, allegedly came third on the new list.She was then moved to fourth to make place for Swartbooi.Karibib CEO Lourens Hoëseb said yesterday that only the Deputy Mayor position was still available to one of the Swapo candidates.The new Mayor is Frans !Aoxumub of the UDF, and the three members of the Management Committee are Gottfridine Nguherimo-Kafida from the DTA as Chairperson, Karools Swartz of the CoD as Vice Chairperson and Yvonne Skini of the UDF as additional member.According to the CEO, the Deputy Mayor would be elected at the next Council meeting at the end of June.