Africa-Press – Namibia. A routine media briefing meant to highlight Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) councillor and Windhoek mayor Ndeshihafela Larandja’s achievements during her 11-month tenure spiralled into political drama on Monday.
This was after Swapo councillor Fransina Kahungu publicly accused the mayor of misleading the public and using city resources to campaign.
The briefing, held at the City of Windhoek council chambers, started as Larandja’s formal feedback session, a report-back she says she promised the public during her inaugural address.
“I told the nation to hold me accountable. That means I must come back and report. Leadership should not always be the same. You need to do things differently. I introduced this because no mayor has done it in more than 15 years.,” she said.
However, as she concluded her presentation, which covered sanitation projects, outreach to vulnerable families, waste-management initiatives and international partnerships, Kahungu abruptly stood up and took aim at the mayor’s remarks, especially on disability services and international travel.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Kahungu insisted the mayor was misrepresenting the City’s long-standing support to persons with disabilities.
“The chairperson said there is no document guiding us on how to deal with people with disabilities. But I can tell you, since time immemorial, documents were there. Land was given to people with disabilities before 2004. We have always assisted vulnerable people. The City is very clear on what to do,” she said.
She then took a sharper political turn, accusing Larandja’s party of misunderstanding international collaboration.
“One political party which did not understand the importance of international travel is the IPC, which even banned our fellow councillors from travelling. They only travelled this year because we had to pay off for the places they didn’t travel to in the past.” Kahungu said.
Her comments prompted murmurs in the room and visible irritation from Larandja.
Another councillor attempted to calm the standoff, but Larandja continued pressing, saying, “You are making yourself a joke in front of the people,” she said, moments before being asked to stop.
After the briefing, the accusations escalated further.
Some councillors suggested that Larandja had used City employees, equipment and the chambers for political campaigning rather than official reporting.
Larandja rejected the allegations outright, telling this publication that the event followed procedure and was not campaign-related.
“I am a councillor. This platform is available to every councillor. I informed the CEO. Corporate communications was here because the CEO authorised it. How does that become campaigning?” she questioned.
She said the accusation only showed misunderstanding.
“Because we represent political parties, anything you do is interpreted as campaigning, especially now, in this period. But this is not a campaign. It is my responsibility to report back to the public,” she said.
Larandja added that her inaugural address, which none of the councillors attended, clearly outlined her commitment to public accountability.
She continued. “When you enter the room, you need to exit. You need to report back. That is what I said to the public. I’m aligning my journey with the promises I made”.
She also defended the use of City staff and facilities.
“How do you differentiate between reporting back and campaigning? I used the official platform, authorised by the CEO. There is nothing here that resembles a political rally,” she said.
Despite the tension, Larandja said she would not be deterred from continuing to engage residents directly.
“You don’t go with the flow like a dead fish. You do things differently. You engage the public,” she said.
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