City management committee constituted amid political differences

The Windhoek City Council on Thursday elected two new members for its management committee, despite challenges and the absence of other political parties in key positions.

The newly elected members are Swapo councillor Magdalena Lombardt and Independent Patriots of Change (IPC) councillor Bernardus Araeb.

Araeb was nominated by National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) councillor Joseph Uapingene and seconded by Swapo councillor Sam Nujoma, while Lombardt was nominated by Swapo councillor Austin Kwenani and seconded by Fransina Kahungu.

Uapingene told The Namibian he wanted other parties, and not only Swapo, to be involved in the election.

“I am very happy that today we managed to constitute the management committee, although it was not the way we wanted it to be constituted, we were left with no other way,” he said.

“We wanted other positions to be taken by other political parties, not Swapo. However, we are happy that now everything is constituted, and we can continue with our service delivery to the residents of Windhoek,” Uapingene said.

He added: “The other political parties did not come on board; they did not attend the meeting. I am happy that the council is fulfilled, and now we have to deliver the work and put our political differences aside.”

Lombardt said she would be able to deliver services to the people now that the elections are done.

“The work must be done; the people who elected us need services. If we did not constitute the management, we could not be able to go forward.

That is why the elections were very important, and I am pleased that we have finished today with the election of the two members that were missing.

“Other political parties had the chance to join us; however, they walked out the first time we had the elections, and for the second time, they did not attend the meeting,” she said.

The Windhoek City Council previously failed to fully elect office-bearers after some councillors walked out of a council meeting and some abstained from voting.

Opposition councillors from the Affirmative Repositioning movement (Job Amupanda and Ilse Keister-Elago), the Landless People’s Movement (Sade Gawanas and Ivan Skrywer) and the Popular Democratic Movement (Clemencia Hanases) did not return to the election process after requesting a short recess during a previous meeting.

Three Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) councillors abstained from the vote, while Bernardus Araeb arrived at the meeting at its very end