The Landless People’s Movement’s (LPM) Sade Gawanas was on Wednesday elected the new mayor of Windhoek with immediate effect until 01 December 2022.
Gawanas replaced Job Amupanda of the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, who was also elected in a coalition council last year.
National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) councillor Joseph Uapingene was elected as the deputy mayor, while Independent Patriots for Change councillors were elected to serve in the management committee. They are Jürgen Hecht, Bernardus Araeb, Ndeshihafela Larandja and Ottilie Uukule, who was sworn in to replace Desiree Davids. Ivan Skrywer of LPM was also elected to serve in the management committee.
Amupanda and Ilse Keister of AR, as well as Clemencia Hanases from the Popular Democratic Movement, will serve as ordinary council members, alongside Swapo party councillors Fransina Kahungu, Queen Kamati, Magdalena Lombardt, Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma and Austin Kwenani.
In her acceptance speech, Gawanas said every council discussion and direction taken must be a sustainable solution that must be implemented with promptness and with the integrity it deserves. Council must be tough on corruption, fraud, irregularities, nepotism, favouritism and a negative work culture, she added.
“We have to be committed to efficient service delivery. We must balance and constantly relate our decisions to the realities of our communities. Therefore, our public relations must understand the immense importance it plays and must be proactive in these engagements. It cannot be business as usual. As your governing council, we have reiterated the need to have five to eight meetings in each constituency, reaching out as far and wide as possible,” stated Gawanas.
In his farewell statement, former mayor Amupanda said Windhoek contributes 30 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product. He said it thus needs a competent council leadership which is capable of identifying complex challenges faced by the city, such as corruption, because if Windhoek is well managed, 30 per cent of the country’s economy is well managed as well.
“To get Namibia right, you must get Windhoek right. You can’t make Windhoek a developmental city without a competent council. You can’t develop Windhoek with councillors who come to council meetings and say they didn’t read the document that contain points of discussion,” said Amupanda.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
