Drama, dictatorship and dismissive attitudes sum up events that unfolded at Windhoek’s first municipal council meeting for 2022, with new Mayor Sade Gawanas flexing her muscles over her immediate predecessor, Job Amupanda.

It was as if the script was already written when Gawanas began to address the councillors and Windhoek’s residents, shortly after a pastor opened the meeting with a prayer.

From the onset, Gawanas said 2022 will not be business as usual, as councillors will be required to redouble their efforts in delivering the much-needed services.

High on her agenda is to ensure food security and nutrition through urban agriculture initiatives to be undertaken, including the Farm Okukuna project, which was launched last year.

“The acute shortage of housing and serviced land in the city, for both housing and commercial development is a challenge that requires council’s special attention and stakeholder’s involvement,” the Landless Peoples Movement representative said.

Gawanas was hastened to say the City of Windhoek is the “backbone” of the municipality, whose wellbeing cannot be overemphasised.

Soon thereafter, the house began to degenerate after the mayor asked the council to adopt minutes of an ordinary council meeting held on 30 November 2021.

Most councillors could not approve the said minutes as they did not have them at their disposal.

It was then proposed that the minutes be approved at a special meeting later this month. In stepped council’s legal advisor who special council meetings do not approve minutes.

As a result, the said minutes will only be adopted in the last week of February at the ordinary meeting.

The house then descended into further chaos.

As tempers flared, it became evident that it was a Gawanas vs Amupanda affair.

Amupanda, who represents the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, submitted three motions for deliberation and approval for Tuesday’s council meeting.

To the surprise of other councillors, including Amupanda, Gawanas threw two of the three motions out of the window without giving him opportunities to backbone them.

In his first submission, Amupanda wants the council to assign a research assistant to each councillor “to assist individual councillors with research, documentation, scheduling, meetings and other assistance the councillor may need”.

This motion hit a brick wall as it did not comply with certain standing rules and orders of the council, according to Gawanas.

The mayor also rejected it as it has financial implications on CoW.

“The motion has been rejected,” Gawanas said.

When Amupanda wanted to motivate, he was shut down.

“We can agree to disagree. But don’t just dismiss,” Swapo’s Queen Kamati interjected.

In another motion, the AR leader wants the council to hold CoW officials and management committee accountable for failures to implement resolutions.

Gawanas rejected the motion as it contradicts already established rules of engagement.

She reminded Amupanda the rules of engagement require him to promote and uphold the image of the city.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency