SWAKOPMUND – Swakopmund District Magistrate Lucia Elishi postponed the elections of the 2024 Swakopmund municipal office-bearers yesterday after the process between two nominated candidates ended in a tie twice.
The two candidates were current mayor Dina Namubes of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and Matthias Henrichsen of the Swakopmund Residents’ Association.
Namubes was nominated by fellow party member Petrus Shimhanda and seconded by the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) David Am-!Abeb, who is also the current deputy mayor.
Henrichsen was nominated by fellow party member Wilfried Groenewald and seconded by the Landless People’s Movement (LPM)’s Blasius Goraseb, which then led to the polls.
The voting process, in which eight councillors took part, resulted in three votes for each of the candidates. However, two abstained from voting, while two were absent without any indication.
Magistrate Elishi then resolved to postpone the election to a later date.
Meanwhile, the Walvis Bay municipality maintained the status quo, and re-elected the IPC’s Trevino Forbes and Sarah Mutondoka as mayor and deputy mayor, respectively.
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM)’s Richard Hoaeb, IPC’s Olivia Andrews, IPC’s Leroy Victor and Ronald Bramwel of the Walvis Bay Residents’ Association also retained their positions in the management committee (MC), which will once again be chaired by Hoaeb. Swapo’s Paulus Kauhondamwa was elected as alternate member, replacing the LPM’s Ryan Gordon.
Henties Bay also re-elected the Republican Party’s (RP) Lewies Vermaak and Swapo’s Renier Kamati as mayor and deputy mayor, respectively.
UDF’s Michael Skini remains as the MC’s chairperson, with the PDM’s Memrod Haraseb, IPC’s Sigfried //Garoeb and RP’s Peet Swart as ordinary members of the MC, and Swapo’s Paulus Imbamba as an alternate member. – Nampa