As LPM refuses to reinstate councillors
Staff Reporter
THE Landless People Movement (LPM) will soon be embroiled into a legal battle by the ruling party, Swapo, after it refused to heed calls to reinstate dismissed //Kharas region Swapo councillors.
The party threatened to take the LPM to court on Monday, 4 February 2024, should they not reinstate councillors Lazarus Nangolo, Suzan Ndjaleka, and Taimi Amakali, who were fired from the council last week amid a fight for positions in the management committee. The three represented the Oranjemund, !Nami #nus, and Karasburg West constituencies, respectively.
In a letter, Swapo lawyer Sisa Namandje gave the LPM until 10:00 on 1 February 2024, to reverse the dismissals. “On 26 January 2024, you released a public statement informing all and sundry that the SWAPO Party’s three councillors had been relieved of their duties and their membership of the //Kharas Regional Council ‘the Council’ had been terminated with immediate effect. You also announced that ‘all the benefits from the Council, including remuneration of each of these councillors, has immediately stopped,’” said Namandje, pointing out the legal grounds of why the dismissal was unjust.
He added that in the event that LPM fails to revoke the decision or at least make an undertaking that the decision will not be implemented, they would take legal action by instituting an urgent application in the High Court of Namibia to be served not later than Monday, 4 February 2024, and to be heard on an urgent basis on 9 February 2024 at 09:00 by the High Court of Namibia,” Namandje threatened.
(LPM) councillor Joseph Isaacks said that the councillors refused on different occasions to join the management committee, thus leading to their suspension.
In response to Informanté, LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa said, “We shall not be reinstating the dismissed Swapo councillors. Such a demand fails to firstly recognize how council decisions are made. Secondly, we shall continue with the process, as LPM was and is within the law to make the decision that was made. The Swapo councillors were dismissed on just grounds as they failed dismally in their capacity to act upon legal regulations. Lastly, if they would like to go to court we will meet them there as we have worked within the law, we are on the right side of the ethical debate and that the decision made is the best decision for the community and the people of Namibia.”
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