Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ellen Alberts
Published on 2024-03-15 11:01:12
Ellen Albert
Minister of urban and rural development Erastus Uutoni has taken a bold step by suspending all town councillors at the Karasburg Town Council. This decision was communicated in the latest Government Gazette, which was released on Friday. Minister Uutoni personally visited Karasburg on Friday to provide feedback on these decisions to the town council and the community.
The councillors who have been suspended are Maria Veldskoen, Elia Hauwanga, Gregorius Ruhl, Frieda Amutenya, Nesmus Mupiya, Josef Witbooi, and Fransiskus Skeyer. It is worth noting that four of the councillors were representing the LPM party, while Swapo had two representatives, and the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) had one representative.
In light of the suspensions, Elize Laubscher, the former chief executive of the Aroab Village Council, has been appointed as the administrator on behalf of Minister Uutoni. This decision comes after a series of warnings issued by Uutoni to the town council, through mayor Maria Veldskoen, regarding the need to reverse certain administrative decisions that were deemed irregular and non-compliant with applicable laws and processes.
Last year, Veldskoen and acting chief executive Hanzina Isaaks were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for activities that were considered unlawful by the ACC director, Paulus Noa. The director expressed concerns about the lack of respect for the law shown by these individuals and their disregard for the minister’s instructions.
Minister Uutoni highlighted several irregularities within the council, including the irregular changing of banking signatory powers, illegal appointments, misuse of the council’s vehicle assigned to Veldskoen, and involvement of councillors in the tender awarding process. He noted that payments exceeding N$900,000 had been made from the council’s bank accounts since the illegal change to banking signatory rights, and those responsible for such actions would be held accountable.
The Minister emphasized the importance of the council demonstrating full commitment to all directives and addressing any non-compliance issues promptly. Failure to comply with these directives could result in the dissolution of the council as per the Local Authorities Act. The Government Gazette confirms that the suspended councillors will not receive any remuneration or allowances during this period.
In conclusion, this decisive action by Minister Uutoni underscores the government’s commitment to upholding transparency, accountability, and good governance within local authorities. It serves as a reminder to all public officials that they are expected to operate within the confines of the law and in the best interest of the community they serve.
Read the original article on The Namibian
