Clemans Miyanicwe
WINDHOEK – Khorixas mayor Elizabeth Geises was removed as mayor and replaced by Laurens //Hoebeb, who will also replace her as town councillor once office bearers are sworn in.
On Sunday evening, Swapo councillors on the Khorixas Town Council and party’s Regional Executive Committee for Kunene Region were reportedly ordered out of a meeting before the Khorixas district executive committee took a decision to remove Geises not only as mayor but also as councillor altogether.
A District Executive Committee (DEC) member told this reporter that Geises apologised for accepting nomination as a mayor from opposition UDF last November and told the attendees that she will accept whatever decision was taken against her.
She vowed to remain a Swapo member.
Although the Kunene Regional Executive Committee of Swapo accepted Geises’ apology, the Khorixas DEC was defiant and said that they stood by their decision to remove Geises, for allegedly working in cahoots with UDF.
Ollie /Gowaseb and Esna !Haradoes, Khorixas DEC members are said to have been the only ones who did not support Geises’ removal.
/Gowaseb is said to have suggested that Geises be demoted from being mayor to the position of deputy mayor instead of replacing her with another member as a councillor. !Haradoes is said to have told the attendees that removal of Geises was ‘personal
greed’.