The Minister of Urban and Rural Development (MURD), James Sankwasa, says the swearing-in of three local authorities councillors of A Right to Shelter Foundation of Namibia on Monday was unprocedural and against set laws guiding the process.
Three councillors of A Right to Shelter Foundation, Veronia Mokaleng Kuzeeko, Wynand Lukas and Alleta Kooper, were sworn in.
Speaking to NBC News at Gobabis, Sankwasa stressed that the foundation was given enough time by the Electoral Commission of Namibia to correct any suspected errors that might have arisen from the list.
He says the foundation, however, remained silent until the election was conducted and later decided that the person who was number three on the list was erroneously gazetted and opted to bring in someone who sits at number nine.
Sankwasa explains the law does not allow it.
"Before the election you're free to change your list, but not after the election. Then if you come and change it after the election, the team and the nation are not valid, and no magistrate has got the power to change that list. No minister has got the power to change the list; the list can only be changed through the due process in this case in your municipality. If they want number nine to come in, that's their choice; they must fire numbers three to eight. They must fire them from the party. When they come to the ministry and say, 'These ones are no more members; they are withdrawn,' then nomination number nine becomes valid, but as long as these ones are not withdrawn, that nomination is not valid because that is the electoral act."
Sankwasa added that the deputy mayor position at Gobabis Municipality will remain vacant until the matter is resolved, as the case will go for a judicial review.
The position was left vacant after the foundation expelled Dina Fillimon, who was number three on the original list and nominated as a deputy mayor of Gobabis.
A representative of the Right to Shelter Foundation of Namibia, Wynand Lukas, says they will operate as ordinary council members until the matter is resolved.
He, however, notes that not being part of the council management committee will negatively affect their organisation, as they will not participate in the decision-making process until the matter is resolved.