By William Mbangula
OSHAKATI
The Ondangwa Town Council has banned the holding of any trade fair without its approval.
The new Mayor of Ondangwa, Naftali Andimba, told a press conference on Tuesday that Council would explore ways how to conduct a trade fair similar to the one held last year but that no one should hold any fair without prior approval from the local authority.
The ban is apparently a direct challenge to ousted mayor, Priskilla Kauna Nashandi, who was embroiled in a power struggle with Council over the ownership of shares in a trade fair.
The decision was taken in terms of Act 23 of 1992.
Sketching the background to the turmoil which started shortly after the event last year, Andimba said contradictory information and rumours were circulating about the way the trade fair was registered as an entity in the name of one individual and that the Town Council did not feature anywhere in the documents. This despite the fact that the Council’s name was used, and its resources such as machinery, finances, stationery and human resources were used under false pretences, noted Andimba.
He explained thus: “Upon repeated inquiries for clarity by the Council, it came to light that what we were hearing in the Council was true and that an individual, who happened to be a member of this Council, had turned what was supposed to be to the Council’s benefits into her own private affairs. She also confirmed this in the letter she wrote to the acting Chief Executive Officer dated January 12, 2007.
“In that letter she said the trade fair was a private business and that the Ondangwa Town Council could only apply to become a member.”
The mayor explained that Council would continue to host the fair.
Ousted mayor, Nashandi, who is now an ordinary member of the Council, did not attend the media conference which was attended by other councillors including Deputy Mayor Lettie Tuutaleni, the Chairman of the Management Committee, Ronnie Negonga, Acting CEO Paul Ndjodhi, and the Councillor of Ondangwa constituency, Ismael Uugwanga.