WALVIS BAY - Walvis Bay municipal councillor Simson Nghilumbwa faces possible suspension from council to allow for a smooth investigation into allegations of abuse of a credit card that cost the council N$83 000.
Nghilumbwa is also the chairperson of council’s management committee.

Nghilumbwa’s alleged reckless spending also caused friction among Swapo councillors who yesterday convened to take a decision whether or not he should be suspended.

An ordinary council meeting took place on Monday evening, stretching until late evening as councillors could not make a clear decision without letting their partisanship and emotions leak into discussions. 

“It was an embarrassment. No one was willing to listen as some do not want the councillor to be suspended whilst others were in favour of it,” a resident who attended the ordinary council meeting told New Era yesterday.
Mayor of Walvis Bay, Wilfred Immanuel, yesterday confirmed to New Era that a decision has been made as another meeting took place on Tuesday morning.

However, he says he cannot confirm the decision made by councillors as the minutes of the meeting are yet to be adopted by the council.

“We should do it within 72 hours and only after that we will make our decision public,” he said yesterday.
Nghilumbwa’s alleged irregular spending came to light after it was leaked to the media and also reported to the Anti-Corruption Commission that is currently investigating him

New Era was reliably informed that both the mayor of Walvis Bay and Nghilumbwa were issued with credit cards for official purposes and that the mayor was within the required spending and also submitted all relevant receipt and documentation, when the alleged overspending came to light.

In the case of Nghilumbwa, New Era was told that the credit card was allegedly used to buy alcohol as well as used at automatic teller machines at several casinos in Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Windhoek.