By Chrispin Inambao WINDHOEK John Likando easily retained his position as Katima Mulilo mayor following an election held at the far north-eastern town late on Monday afternoon at the Legislative Assembly Hall. Ester Sankwasa, a ruling Swapo Party councillor also comfortably retained her seat as the deputy town mayor. Former mayor and secondary school headmaster Michael Mudabeti’s political star waned further when the opposition objected to his initial nomination as the chairman of the management committee of the town council, said well-placed sources. Reasons were not given why there was opposition to his appointment but there is speculation his well-documented controversies and explosive persona could be among the many reasons why he could not be sworn in immediately after Monday’s election. The appointment of the three-person management committee would only be finalized today as council has to look into the issues that prompted Geoffrey Chilinda’s objection to Mudabeti being re-elected as chairperson of the management committee. It appears Georgina Mwiya, who until Monday’s election was the deputy chair, and Muhongo would retain their positions in the management committee while doubt has been cast on Mudabeti. Mwiya previously wrestled power from Mudabeti before the youthful ODC employee entered the political fray and in turn replaced Mwiya. Swapo councillors include Likando, Sankwasa, Mwiya, Mudabeti and Nsala Muhongo while the opposition Republican Party is represented by Chilinda. Karen Mubonenwa on the other hand occupies the single seat allocated to the CoD. The present town council faces an uphill battle because it struggles to provide the most basic of human needs such as water and has been lambasted on numerous occasions for its failure to repair and replace the severely-potholed road network that is simply falling apart. Garbage collection has been problematic and hundreds of school-leavers each year swell the growing ranks of the unemployed, forcing many of them to resort to substance abuse. Vincent Sazita, previously a senior functionary at the Okahandja Municipality before he became a casualty of political squabbling, and who this year replaced Agnes Limbo as chief administrator at the town, has a mammoth task to gain approval from highly skeptical ratepayers, made much so by the fact that the public needs service and not promises.