Labuschagne sworn in as Keetmanshoop Rural councillor

The newly elected councillor for the Keetmanshoop Rural constituency, Willem Labuschagne, was sworn in at Keetmanshoop in the ||Kharas region on Friday.

Labuschagne emerged victoriaus after vote counting in the Keetmanshoop Rural constituency by-election on Tuesday. He was the former chairperson of the Koes village management committee.

The election was necessitated by the expulsion of former councillor Gerrit Witbooi from the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) in February. The Regional Councils Act of 1992 requires an election to be held 90 days after a vacancy occurs at a regional council.

LPM won the Keetmanshoop Rural constituency by-election held on Monday, with Labuschagne garnering 1 270 out of 2 912 votes cast and 16 spoiled ballots. Elias !Kharuxab of Swapo obtained 872 votes followed by independent candidate Gerrit Witbooi with 463 votes. Johannes Eiman of the Popular Democratic Movement came fourth with 275 votes and Magdalena Stoffel of Independent Patriots for Change 32 votes.

Labuschagne said socio-economic development will be key in providing people with an income, land for ownership as well as productive use to create generational wealth.

“Even though the party will still provide leadership and key areas they want me to focus on, it is important to me that we create stability in the lives of the people by assisting them with economic means of productivity to help them generate an income,” said Labuschagne.

LPM holds the majority seats at the ||Kharas Regional Council with four seats and Swapo three seats out of seven.