KEETMANSHOOP – The Windhoek High Court has ordered that the matter brought before it through an urgent application by three councillors who were fired from the //Kharas Regional Council, be heard through a normal application on 18 April this year.
Oranjemund Constituency councillor Lazarus Nangolo, Karasburg West Constituency councillor Taimi Amakali and !Nami#Nûs Constituency councillor Susan Ndjaleka were suspended on 25 January by the //Kharas Regional Council (KRC) chairperson Joseph Isaacks for various alleged offences.
These offences, according to Isaacks, range from absconding from meetings with no proper and valid reasons as per section 10 of the Regional Councils Act, sabotaging the council, and refusing to fill positions on the management committee.
On 2 February, the three suspended councillors through their lawyer Sisa Namandje brought an urgent application before the High Court, demanding that they be reinstated with immediate effect.
The application was set to be heard last week Friday. However, court documents seen by Nampa on Tuesday indicate that the case was struck off the urgent court roll, and will be heard as a normal application.
This came after the applicants, the regional council and the chairperson settled on an agreement for the case not to be heard on an urgent basis.
The court ordered the regional council and the chairperson not to implement the decision taken on 25 January to fire the three councillors, adding that the trio should continue to serve in their positions and carry out their duties.
“The applicants shall continue receiving all their remunerations and benefits, as if no decision to stop their remuneration was made,” stated the court order.
Furthermore, the court said the KRC, Isaacks and acting chief regional officer Benedictus Diergaardt must file the record of proceedings of the special council meeting held on 25 January, including transcribed and documentary material, before or on 20 February.
“The applicants must file their supplementary affidavits, if any, on or before 29 February. The respondents must file their answering affidavits on or before 22 March, and the applicants must file their replying affidavits on or before 9 April,” the court ordered.
–Nampa