Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) Katutura Constituency councillor Vezemba Rodman Katjaimo does not stay in the constituency he leads, a direct contravention of the Regional Councils Act.
New Era has established that the journalist-turned-politician lives in one of Windhoek’s affluent suburbs, Rocky Crest while simultaneously presiding over one of Windhoek’s poorest constituencies.
The politician confirmed owning a house in Rocky Crest but denied living there.
“Yes. I have a house in Rocky Crest where my family resides. My wife is a teacher at Concordia and my kids attend school in Hochland Park. [It] is very convenient for them but I rent a backyard flat in Katutura at my uncle’s house,” Katjaimo said yesterday.
Evidence gathered by this newspaper suggests that Katjaimo indeed lives in Rocky Crest, which flies in the face of the Regional Councils Act. The law governing regional councils dictates a councillor must be a resident of the constituency for which he or she is elected.
Article 17(2) of the Namibian Constitution says no person shall be qualified to be a member of a regional council unless he or she: “Is ordinarily resident within the constituency for which he or she is elected, or, if such person is not so resident at the time of his or her election, becomes so ordinarily resident within a period of three months as from the date of his or her election as such a member.”
This means Katjaimo should have found refuge within the parameters of Katutura Central constituency, three months after his election.
This did not happen, if information gathered from Katjaimo’s Rocky
Crest neighbours and municipal sources is anything to go by.
In essence, the councillor has failed to meet this basic legal requirement.
“He stays there with his wife and two kids. They have lived here since 2018 or somewhere around early 2019. Even if you go there now, you will find him there,” a neighbour said.
Contacted for comment over the issue, Electoral Commission of Namibia boss Theo Mujoro said it is not under the commission’s purview to deal with such cases.
“As the ECN, our role ends at facilitating the electoral process which ends at gazetting the candidates. The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development is better placed to respond to that,” Mujoro said.
The urban ministry was in the dark when approached. “We will take up the issue with
the Khomas Regional Council,” said
Nghidinwa Daniel, the ministry’s executive director. Meanwhile, PDM’s chief administrator, Manuel Ngaringombe did not respond to detailed questions.
Denial
Approached for comment yesterday, Katjaimo was quick to say his wife and children are the occupants of the house while he rents a backyard room at his uncle’s house in Katutura. Katjaimo, a known clergyman then affirmed: “I live in Katutura. I was born in Katutura. I grow up in Katutura Central. I live, sleep and breathe Katutura.”
Katjaimo did not provide evidence to backbone claims that he is a tenant at his uncle’s house.
“How can I have a lease agreement with my biological uncle [my mom’s sibling]? You can come at my place after work no problem. We have a verbal agreement,” he said when pressed to provide proof.
Disqualification
The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), known for its no nonsense approach when it comes to dealing with its officials who are caught transgressing, called for Katjaimo’s immediate disqualification.
The party accused Katjaimo’s political home, PDM, of making a mockery of the country’s laws. “That should be an automatic disqualification. But that is not our business as IPC. It is the business of PDM and the electorates in that constituency to decide what they want,” IPC spokesperson Imms Nashinge said upon enquiry yesterday.
IPC, Nashinge said, practices what it preaches. He was referring to an incident where IPC recalled its former Swakopmund constituency councillor Ciske Smith-Howard after the party found that she was allegedly a resident of a different constituency.
“If it was us, we were going to take a decision right away,” Nashinge said before taking on PDM.
“What do they stand for? How do you have an official opposition that cheats on constitutional provisions that they should be protecting? Our decision in Erongo should serve as an example for these parties,” he said.
UK mess
Katjaimo has hogged the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent times.
The former sports journalist is at the centre of a failed European trip, which saw 198 Namibians pump in at least N$12.9 million.
They were destined for the United Kingdom, to attend the Commonwealth Games last month. The trip did not materialise due to tight immigration requirements in the face of numerous red flags. The participants in the trip are now demanding refunds from Katjaimo. A group of 14 has since enlisted lawyer Norman Tjombe in their quest to recoup their monies from the councillor.
The PDM has also completed an investigation into the ill-fated jaunt.
Despite the mounting pressure, Katjaimo is adamant that the trip’s organisation was above-board. However, details have now surfaced that the trip was a decoy to circumvent immigration protocol, with the main objective being for the Namibians to seek asylum in the UK upon entry. – emumbuu@nepc.com