Lack of City management committee cripples operations

The Windhoek city council's decision-making ability and activities have become severely constrained after a second attempt to assemble the important management committee (MC) failed again last week.

According to the City’s legal representative, Ngatatue Kandovazu, the fact that only three councillors were elected to the committee means that it is not sufficiently constituted and therefore will not be able to make valid decisions.

Step missing

He explained that a majority of issues on which the city council must deliberate are first referred to them by the management committee.

"Agenda items cannot be considered, and all the items that the council sends back to the committee also stand still. Ordinary items must go through the committee, although some items can be brought directly (from the municipal management) to the council's attention. It is essential that the committee be fully formed as soon as possible," he said.

At last week's special meeting to fill the two outstanding seats, opposition politicians on the city council again rejected all nominations for those who could serve on the committee.

At the previous meeting, the National Unity Democratic Organisation's (Nudo's) Joseph Uapingene was elected mayor.

Tense time

Despite nominations, none of the opposition members took the opportunity to join the management committee.

Only Sam Nujoma, Queen Kamati and Austin Kwenani – all Swapo members – have so far been elected as committee members. Swapo's Magalena Pienaar-Lombardt is the capital's deputy mayor.

According to Uapingene, the atmosphere within the city council is tense at the moment.

"We still need to calm down. It's still up and down. We need to calm down and normalise the council," he said.

However, Uapingene could not shed much light on the reasons behind the obstacle to the city council's activities.

"Although I am also an opposition party member, I do not know exactly what the problem is. Before the election, the opposition got together and decided to take over the management committee – after the meeting in December when the ruling party and the IPC walked out," he said.

"As Nudo, we have decided to work with anyone who will work with us for the best interests of the residents. That's what we did," he said.

Power struggle

Over the weekend, however, Windhoek's former mayor, the Landless People's Movement's (LPM's) Sade Gawanas, said the main reason behind opposition politicians' refusal to join the new management committee is the rejection of Swapo's majority in decision-making within the city council.

"A party that has the majority in the management committee equals absolute power," she said.

According to her, during their previous meeting with city councillors from opposition parties, Swapo members said they were looking for a Nudo chairman (mayor) and three members of the management committee. According to her, the opposition had made other proposals, but Swapo insisted that they would proceed regardless.

"We can never again give Swapo the majority in the management committee," she concluded.

Start again

On the contrary, opposition parties seek joint responsibility, joint decision-making, and a joint management committee.

"The Swapo committee members must resign so that we can nominate members for the management committee. Some say we have to start the whole process from scratch. They are also not happy with the mayor and his deputy," she claimed.

The urban and rural development minister, Erastus Uutoni, on Friday invited all city council members to an urgent meeting on the state of leadership within the Windhoek municipal management.

This meeting was expected to take place on Monday morning.

The next attempt to elect a full management committee has been postponed until 9 February.

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