The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) has successfully toppled the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC)-dominated management committee through a motion of no confidence.
The vote took place on Monday at a special council meeting, following a last-minute attempt by the four IPC councillors to block the meeting through a court interdict.
The High Court application was dismissed on Monday.
Now, a marriage of convenience between the AR, Landless People’s Movement (LPM), Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) and their common foe – Swapo – was sealed yesterday to control the management committee (MC).
Effectively, IPC, with just four members in the 15-member council, has been pushed to the periphery of decision-making.
In essence, Windhoek’s second coalition has fallen apart.
Last night, a new MC came into power.
PDM’s Clemencia Hanases nominted AR’s Ilse Keister to the MC. She accepted the nomination, which was seconded by AR’s Job Amupanda.
Swapo’s Austin Kwenani’s was nominated by Fransina Kahungu and seconded by Magdalena Lombard all from Swapo.
Swapo’s Queen Kamati then nominated Sam Nujoma, which was seconded by Kwenani.
The fourth nominee to the MC was Hanases. Keister returned the favour. LPM’s Ivan Skrywer seconded the nomination.
Amupanda then nominated Skrywer as the last nominee. It was seconded by Keister.
More so, the new MC is set to convene an urgent meeting in the coming weeks to recommend the appointment of a CEO to the council.
All indications are that Conrad Lutombi – who came out tops during the interviews for the positions last year, albeit allegations of irregularities – will land the position.
The IPC-controlled MC fought tooth and nail against the appointment.
Until its demise, the MC wanted the recruitment process to start afresh.
In recent months, pundits painted a bleak picture of affairs at the city.
The state of affairs has inspired little if any confidence among residents, as the council has now become a political hotbed for personality clashes and bickering.
To date, the opposition-dominated city remains without a solid plan to deal with the city’s most pressing challenges, including housing, crime and provision of basic amenities to Windhoek’s sprawling shanty towns.
“Now there is a clash of personalities and not a clash of ideas. It is bickering between leaders that are leading this coalition and not necessarily policies,” political analyst Rui Tyitende said in an earlier interview.
The hardening of the marriage of convenience that could see Swapo, AR, PDM, LPM and the National Unity Democratic Organisation form a new coalition in December is fast becoming a reality.
- emumbuu@nepc.com.na