By Kuvee Kangueehi
Windhoek
The Caprivi Region regional councillors will this morning hold a meeting with the Secretary General of the Swapo Party, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, to discuss a number of issues including the appointment of Leonard Mwilima as the new governor of the Caprivi.
Mwilima’s appointment has caused a stir as it was made against a Swapo Party directive that the previous governor, Bernard Sibalatani, be re-elected.
Ithana confirmed the meeting to New Era yesterday and said she did not summon the regional councillors but that the councillors requested a meeting.
She noted that the appointment of the new governor will definitely be discussed and the councillors will explain why they chose to go against the party’s directive.
“The party’s recommendations are not cast in stone and it is not a big thing that they did not follow the recommendation of the party, but they will explain.”
She added that the Act makes provision for regional councillors to appoint a governor without following the recommendations of the party and because the Swapo Government was instrumental in the drafting of the Act, it fully respects it.
Mwilima, who is also a member of the National Council, was sworn in last Friday as the new Governor of the Caprivi Region by magistrate Rachel Sakala.
Sibalatani lost the position after he was not seconded despite being nominated.
Mwilima was the overall winner with three votes and was expected to resume duty with immediate effect.
Although it is not clear yet why the region decided to go against the directive of the party, a local source claims that the councillors were not happy that a Subiya heads the region while the majority of the councillors are Mafwe.
The Caprivi resident claimed that four out of the six regional councillors are Mafwe and they were not happy that Sibalatani who is Subiya should run the region for two terms.
Ithana said the party issued the directive to advise the region to choose the candidate the party believes is the best for the job.
“When these councillors are elected, little is known about their abilities and the party only advises them for their own benefit,” she said.