SWAKOPMUND – A political storm is brewing at the Erongo Regional Council, as Arandis constituency councillor Benitha Imbamba is fighting to keep her seat as chairperson.
This follows a vote of no confidence motion that was tabled against her.
The motion, tabled by Walvis Bay Urban constituency councillor Deriou Benson, seeks her removal, citing poor leadership, division among councillors and a failure to consult council members.
Benson accused Imbamba of running the council with “divide-and-rule tactics”, and sidelining fellow councillors.
“The chairperson makes decisions that hinder the effective functioning of the council. The integrity and decorum of the council have deteriorated under her leadership,” he argued.
He claimed that Imbamba operates in isolation, does not provide feedback, and lacks proper judgment in handling council matters.
Locus standi
Imbamba has hit back, calling the allegations politically-motivated and legally flawed.
She dismissed a vote of no confidence against her as a baseless witch-hunt. She told New Era this week that the motion has no legal foundation, and is nothing more than an attempt to discredit her leadership.
“Benson is simply making accusations without evidence. His motion is vague and does not specify how I contravened any laws or codes of conduct. The section he cited does not apply to the removal of a chairperson but rather to an ordinary member of the management committee. Furthermore, he has not listed any specific wrongdoing on my part,” she said in her opposing motion.
Imbamba also accused Benson of misusing council structures for personal and political gain, especially with elections approaching.
She said this is a crucial time where people will use all types of tactics to gain political mileage.
“Such baseless allegations have the potential to damage reputations and should not be entertained,” she said.
Despite tabling the motion, Benson declined to specify Imbamba’s transgressions, instead referring New Era to Walvis Bay Rural constituency councillor Donatus Tegako.
Tegako claimed that Imbamba was only advancing projects in Swapo-led constituencies, such as Arandis, Karibib and Omaruru while neglecting others, led by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC).
IPC currently heads the Walvis Bay Urban and Rural constituencies as well as the Swakopmund constituency.
The Daures constituency is headed by the United Democratic Front party (UDF), whose councillor Kennedy !Haoseb also supported the motion.
“I have a resolution pending for an open market in my constituency, but the municipality wants to reclaim the land, despite the available budget. We planned for a clinic and a school in Utuseb, but nothing has moved forward. The electricity project for Utuseb was supposed to be completed in 2023 but remains stalled,” he said.
Tegako acknowledged that his office, through the regional council, had restored water supply to Utuseb after seven years of disconnection.
He highlighted completed projects, including two schools in Walvis Bay Rural, 40 rural toilets and a playground at Utuseb.
Benson admitted that constituency development projects had been slow but said efforts were being made to push them forward.
“The only thing that is very slow is the constituency development projects. We are trying to finalise last year’s projects so we can start new ones. Our garden project at the office is also on hold, as we are waiting for seedlings and planting crates,” he said.