…power struggle intensifies
WINDHOEK – The former chairperson of the management committee of the beleaguered Okahandja Town Council, Vallery Aron, was installed as the new mayor of the town following the shock resignation of Dawid Urikhob yesterday.
The reason for Urikhob’s hasty departure remains a matter of speculation at this stage, but the news has sent shockwaves through the town council that has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons, including allegations and counter-allegations of backbiting, abuse of power, conflict of interest, nepotism and fraud, for the better part of the past year.
Tensions are now said to be running high in the top echelons of the town’s political leadership and management.
Well-placed sources told New Era that a Swapo Party meeting held on Monday night at Swakopmund apparently ‘hand-picked’ Aron to take over from Urikhob.
A certain Steenkamp whose first name could not be confirmed at the time of going to press takes over as the new deputy mayor to replace Paulina Kuyandeka, who was fired from the municipality after damning allegations that she was carrying membership cards of three political parties. Kuyandeka was a Swapo Party councillor. When approached yesterday Aron was not prepared to comment on the matter, saying she was locked up in a meeting, but when she was reached later in the day she said she was not feeling well before putting down her phone. Urikhob was also not prepared to comment also citing engagement in a meeting, although subsequent attempts to reach him found his mobile phone on voice-mail. An attempt to reach the CEO of the Okahandja Town Council, Frans Enkali, a man very much at the centre of the feuding, also proved futile since he was apparently also caught up in meetings all day. Animosity between town councillors has been brewing for some time and reached boiling point after three former members of the management committee, including Aron, Andries Bezuidenhout and Computer Mieze were removed from their positions following a vote of no confidence motion in which a series of accusations were leveled against them ranging from abuse of power to conflict of interest and self-enrichment. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) eventually interrogated Aron over the house that she apparently built on a portion of a public park, as well as land that she apparently sold for peanuts to some Chinese business people.
However, the ACC probe appears to have exacerbated existing animosities between Aron and some councillors prompting her to retaliate by suspending the CEO. A source said Aron became unruly in one meeting and lashed out at Enkali until he stormed out of the meeting with some councillors in tow. Aron, together with other suspended management committee members, apparently formed a quorum at the time to suspend the CEO, citing non-performance and insurbodination. However, the move led to a popular backlash against the putschists, when municipal workers downed tools demanding the reinstatement of the CEO. In a counter offensive Urikhob and councillors Frederick Shimanda, Paulina Kuyandeka and Estha Garoes formed a new quorum to reinstate Enkali. At this stage the jury is still out on which camp will ultimately have the upper hand in the ongoing power struggle at the Garden town.
By Magreth Nunuhe