Katima re-elects Ntemwa as mayor despite postponement request

Katima Mulilo has re-elected John Ntemwa as mayor despite an opposition party councillor’s request to postpone the elections of the political office bearers on Tuesday.

The request for postponement came from National Democratic Party councillor Simasiku Mukendwa, on the grounds that the seventh council member from Independent Patriot For Change, councillor Charles Musiyalike, is not present.

However, the town’s chief executive, Raphael Liswaniso, says they will not postpone the elections because they did not receive any official notice of absence from Musiyalike.

Upon his request being denied, Mukendwa said that he will not be participating in the elections and left the meeting.

“I will leave the chambers without participating in these elections; you can proceed without me if it’s legal,” he said.

Presiding magistrate Beatrice Sibalatani says seeing that five councillors are present, the quorum requirements are met, therefore, she sees no reason for any postponements.

“My concern is just to ensure that the quorum is observed. I see that there are five councillors present, and I’m told that the quorum is four, so we shall proceed,” she says.

The elections continued, whereby deputy mayor Lascan Sikosi and chairperson of the management committee, Beritha Sitali, also retained their positions.

Lister Shamalaza and Christina Simanga were elected as members of the management committee.

WINDHOEK MUNICIPALITY FAILS TO ELECT LEADERS AGAIN

Meanwhile, the City of Windhoek Council yesterday failed, for the second time, to elect political office-bearers due to a lack of quorum.

Elections had been postponed to yesterday morning after councillors walked out of a meeting chaired by magistrate Immanuel Udjombala on Monday afternoon. The walkout followed Udjombala’s refusal to grant the councillors a recess.

When the meeting recommenced yesterday, City of Windhoek chief executive officer Moses Matyayi said it did not meet quorum, with only four councillors present.

“We only have four council members. We have tried our level best to get all council members to be present, but these are the only members present,” Matjayi informed Udjombala, who is chairperson of the council until the members elect a chairperson.

Udjombala postponed the meeting to 9 December 2024 next Monday.

“In light of the discussion with the CEO, we will give [councillors] more than a day’s notice to put [their] house in order and to make sure that on that particular day, we proceed in an orderly and more diplomatic manner,” Udjombala said.