Africa-Press – Namibia. An attempt by four Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) members of the Windhoek City Council to have a no-confidence vote in the council’s management committee set aside by the High Court failed on Friday.
An attempt by four Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) members of the Windhoek City Council to have a no-confidence vote in the council’s management committee set aside by the High Court failed on Friday.
This is after judge Boas Usiku ruled that an application by IPC city councillors Ndeshihafela Larandja, Jürgen Hecht, Ottilie Uukule and Bernardus Araeb did not meet the requirements to be heard as an urgent matter. The judge struck the councillors’ application from the court roll.
Larandja, who was the chairperson of the Windhoek City Council’s management committee until the council passed a vote of no confidence in the committee on 22 August, and her three party colleagues, who were also members of the management committee, were asking the court to review and set aside the council’s decision to adopt the vote of no confidence.
They were also asking the court to review and set aside the election of a new management committee, chaired by Affirmative Repositioning movement member Ilse Keister, which took on 23 August, and to review and set aside all decisions taken by the management committee since 23 August.
Larandja and her party colleagues are claiming that the vote of no confidence, which was proposed by Keister, was done in terms of a council rule that is in conflict with the Local Authorities Act, and as a result was unlawful.
They are also claiming they were not given written notice at least 72 hours before the council meeting at which the motion of no confidence was first discussed, which they say is required in terms of the Local Authorities Act.
In addition, they say the city council took a decision on Keister’s no-confidence motion on 22 August despite a lawyer representing the council, and the City of Windhoek’s acting chief executive officer, O’Brien Hekandjo, having assured the court that a decision on the motion was not to be made during the council meeting that day.
Legal counsel Gerson Narib, instructed by Sylvia Kahengombe, represented the four IPC councillors in the application. The city council and Hekandjo were represented by Sisa Namandje.
This is after judge Boas Usiku ruled that an application by IPC city councillors Ndeshihafela Larandja, Jürgen Hecht, Ottilie Uukule and Bernardus Araeb did not meet the requirements to be heard as an urgent matter. The judge struck the councillors’ application from the court roll.
Larandja, who was the chairperson of the Windhoek City Council’s management committee until the council passed a vote of no confidence in the committee on 22 August, and her three party colleagues, who were also members of the management committee, were asking the court to review and set aside the council’s decision to adopt the vote of no confidence.
They were also asking the court to review and set aside the election of a new management committee, chaired by Affirmative Repositioning movement member Ilse Keister, which took on 23 August, and to review and set aside all decisions taken by the management committee since 23 August.
Larandja and her party colleagues are claiming that the vote of no confidence, which was proposed by Keister, was done in terms of a council rule that is in conflict with the Local Authorities Act, and as a result was unlawful.
They are also claiming they were not given written notice at least 72 hours before the council meeting at which the motion of no confidence was first discussed, which they say is required in terms of the Local Authorities Act.
In addition, they say the city council took a decision on Keister’s no-confidence motion on 22 August despite a lawyer representing the council, and the City of Windhoek’s acting chief executive officer, O’Brien Hekandjo, having assured the court that a decision on the motion was not to be made during the council meeting that day.
Legal counsel Gerson Narib, instructed by Sylvia Kahengombe, represented the four IPC councillors in the application. The city council and Hekandjo were represented by Sisa Namandje.
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