Okahandja councillors must go

Okahandja councillors must go Over 400 Okahandja residents on Wednesday marched to their municipal office, demanding the removal of town councillors.

This follows a demand made a few weeks ago where they set the deadline for Wednesday, 18 April.

They handed over a petition to deputy urban and rural development minister Derek Klazen.

In the document, seen by this agency, the community committee members accuse the councillors of corruption, poor service delivery and inflation of water bills, amongst others.

Delivering the petition on behalf of the committee, spokesperson Hidipohamba Vatilifa said they would like the ministry to send a team to investigate the allegations.

“The councillors that are implicated in the corruption scandal must leave or vacate the offices until investigations are completed,” said Vatilifa.

He further suggested that those employees of the municipality who are also implicated, must be suspended so as not to interfere with the investigations, and that the ministry should delegate a team to run the town's affairs while investigations are carried out.

“Residents have lost trust in the councillors they elected,” they said. Klazen, who received the petition on behalf of line minister Peya Mushelenga, said it is not that easy for the minister to remove, suspend or recall councillors from office.

“Whatever allegations are there, people need to be proven guilty, so it needs to be investigated first,” he said, adding that while he understands their plight, laws and procedures need to be upheld.

He said feedback on their petition will be given in due course.

NAMPA