Coalitions crumble in Erongo local authorities

WALVIS BAY - Some of the coalitions that replaced Swapo in certain Erongo local authority councils have landed firmly on the rocks.

The re-election of the Walvis Bay local authority councillors had a bumpy start after the three Swapo councillors nominated the Landless People’s Movement (LPM)’s councillor Ryan Gordon for the mayoral position to stand against Independent Patriots for Change incumbent Trevino Forbes.

The re-election took place on Wednesday evening, and resulted in the process resorting to secret ballot vote as both Forbes and Gordon were nominated for this position. Forbes eventually retained the position after six people voted in his favour. The current deputy mayor, Saara Mutondoka, also retained her position.

Richard Hoaeb will remain chairperson of the management committee while IPC councillors Olivia Andrews, Leroy Victor and Roland Bramwell as well as Swapo councillor Paulus Kauhondamwa were elected as members of the management committee. Kauhondamwa’s nomination was also decided through voting as both him and Ephraim Shozi were nominated to be part of the management committee.

Andrews is replacing Gordon, who was previously part of the management committee, but will now serve as an ordinary councillor.

Interestingly, the LPM, IPC, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Walvis Bay Residents Association were in coalition, but Gordon had shortly after the nomination indicated that he had pulled out of the coalition as nothing good came from it.

“There was never a coalition. There were no meetings, and I think it is best if I make decisions from the outside instead of making wrong decisions within the management committee,” he charged.

The Swakopmund, Karibib and Henties Bay councils remain unchanged.

In Arandis, Swapo veteran Risto Kapenda edged out IPC councillor and previous mayor Erastus Kandenge to return to the mayorship.

Kandenge will serve as the deputy mayor. United Democratic Front councillor Cecillie //Hoabes, who previously served as the deputy mayor, will now serve as the chairperson of the management committee while Johanna Namupala and Isabella Kavendjii, both from Swapo, will serve as members of the management committee.

Barnabas Kambara, who previously served as the chairperson of the management committee and councillor Rita Hoebes, who was a member of the management committee, will now serve as ordinary members.