Rosina //Hoabes gets re-elected

ROSINA //Hoabes was re-elected as Swakopmund’s Mayor and Council Chairperson at a special annual mayoral election meeting held yesterday morning.

The Deputy Mayor (also vice chairperson of the Council) and the four management committee members also remained unchanged. The office bearers all represent the Swapo Party.No objection was made against any of the double nominations for each elected member, amidst fears from members of the community (as was printed in a letter in a local newspaper on Tuesday) that Councillor John Ngolombe and re-elected Deputy Mayor and Vice Chairperson Germina Shitaleni were “gunning” for the position of mayor.The letter even stated that “one UDF Councillor said that apparently Ngolombe was not happy to have been dethroned by Shitaleni and he informed a confidant that Shitaleni has informed him that she wants to be strategically positioned to replace the current Mayor”.UDF Councillor Elifas //Khoaseb told The Namibian that he strongly condemned the comment.He said the UDF distanced itself from such derogatory statements and that the election was conducted in a free and fair manner.Mayor //Hoabes said she was humbled by the decision of Council members to keep her in her position.She has been serving as Swakopmund’s Mayor since 2003.She added that, contrary to speculation, the election of the new office bearers was without controversy and each member deserved the confidence that Council had in their capacity.She admitted that there were still many challenges in Swakopmund and vowed that the councillors would do all they could to serve the community.The office bearers all represent the Swapo Party.No objection was made against any of the double nominations for each elected member, amidst fears from members of the community (as was printed in a letter in a local newspaper on Tuesday) that Councillor John Ngolombe and re-elected Deputy Mayor and Vice Chairperson Germina Shitaleni were “gunning” for the position of mayor.The letter even stated that “one UDF Councillor said that apparently Ngolombe was not happy to have been dethroned by Shitaleni and he informed a confidant that Shitaleni has informed him that she wants to be strategically positioned to replace the current Mayor”.UDF Councillor Elifas //Khoaseb told The Namibian that he strongly condemned the comment.He said the UDF distanced itself from such derogatory statements and that the election was conducted in a free and fair manner.Mayor //Hoabes said she was humbled by the decision of Council members to keep her in her position.She has been serving as Swakopmund’s Mayor since 2003.She added that, contrary to speculation, the election of the new office bearers was without controversy and each member deserved the confidence that Council had in their capacity.She admitted that there were still many challenges in Swakopmund and vowed that the councillors would do all they could to serve the community.