Council Wants to Boot Swapo Trio

By Emma Kakololo WINDHOEK The Town Council of Khorixas has passed a no-confidence vote against three of its councillors, all members of Swapo Party, over alleged misconduct. The trio, Berlinda Orr, Auguste Xoagus and Thomas Jonas apparently violated the Code of Conduct of Local Authority Councillors of the town when they selected Eben Xoagub to fill the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) over the preferred candidate, Nick Gaeseb during an interview at the town. The council now wants the trio to be suspended with immediate effect from April 1, 2006. Xoagub was apparently third on the list after the panel’s interview for a CEO. The interview was conducted on October 31, last year. Ismael /Howoseb was the second best candidate and Nick Gaeseb, the overall best. However, the three councillors allegedly objected to council’s decision (to take Gaeseb) and opted for candidate number three, Eben Xoagub. “By opposing the decision made by council to appoint Nick Gaeseb as town clerk, they are actively hampering the work of the council since the position of the town clerk cannot be taken up and council proceedings are hindered,” Chairperson of the Council’s Management Committee Sakarias !Aibeb remarked in his proposal to council on 8 March 2006. “I would conclude therefore that such an open display of contempt for the code of conduct leaves me with no option but to propose a vote of no-confidence in councillors Orr, Xoagus and Jonas. “I recommend that the three named councillors be suspended, with immediate effect, for a period of one month, without allowances, with effect from 1 April 2006,” he proposed. Swapo Party Regional Coordinator for Khorixas Samtaco Katjizemo yesterday confirmed that council approached his office with the view to remove the said councillors on the grounds of unethical behaviour. He told New Era that he disagreed with the council, adding that the trio acted in the interest of the town when they opted for Xoagub. “Those councillors have done a tremendous job for the party and the people of Khorixas and there is no way of removing them. They will serve their full term of office until 2009,” he stated. “When they decided on Xoagub, they acted in the interest of the town. That position is not a political position, what counts here is the person’s academic qualifications and ability to deliver. They were by no means trying to support a certain political appointee,” he stressed.