Swapo in the Omaheke region has suggested its Gobabis Town Council member Nonna Goreses is suspended from partaking in council activities.
Goreses was elected yesterday as the town’s deputy mayor. National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) councillor Elvira Theron was re-elected as town mayor, while the Landless People’s Movement (LPM)’s Sylvester Binga was re-elected as the council’s chairperson.
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM)’s Melba Tjozongoro and the Gobabis Residents Association’s Gerhard Jacobs were re-elected as members of the management committee. Elwin Gariseb and Cornelius Tjizoo of Swapo are ordinary members.
Swapo Omaheke district coordinator Liberius Kalili, in a letter addressed to her, accused Goreses of insubordination.
“The district executive through my office has resolved to suspend you with immediate effect, pending a proper investigation and disciplinary hearing. You are thus requested not to attend any council meeting or management committee meeting, starting from today (25 November 2021) until further notice,” Kalili said in the letter.
Goreses was unavailable to confirm her suspension, as her phone went unanswered. She also did not respond to WhatsApp messages sent to her.
Meanwhile, in a memo seen by New Era, the party on Wednesday instructed party councillors to nominate councillor Elwin Gariseb for the deputy mayor position, an instruction New Era understand Goreses went against and that led to her suspension. In the memo, the party warned councillors that any councillor who contravenes the resolution would be recalled.
The memo warned that any councillor who “disobeys, disregards or makes wilful default in carrying out any lawful order or instruction given to him or her by any person authorised to do so, or by word or conduct, shows insubordination.”