The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, has called on the Erongo Regional Council to urgently resolve the leadership and governance challenges that have thrown the council into turmoil.
This follows the council's refusal to comply with a High Court ruling, ordering the reinstatement of Arandis Constituency Councillor Benitha Imbamba as chairperson of the Erongo Regional Council.
Imbamba, who was elected in 2022, was removed from her position earlier this year following a vote of no confidence.
Although the High Court ruled in her favour to be reinstated, the council remained defiant.
"If the matter escalates to contempt of court, who is going to be arrested for contempt of court? So I want to find the answers to that because I don't have answers. I just want someone to say, 'Yes, this is the situation.' This never happened, or this happened, and if it happened, what did we do as a council?"
UDF councillor Kennedy !Haoseb claimed that members were not informed about the High Court letter ordering Imbamba's reinstatement.
"We were told that the honourable minister's office will come back to us to see you to inform you about what is happening with the other issue also. It's not that we did not respect the court order; the media is not reporting things as we are discussing in the Council matter. I personally said I don't have a problem with reinstating the Chairperson; I'm on record, but we want to appeal the case, at least the council side, to be heard."
Sankwasa spoke about misuse of public funds, making reference to the Chairperson of the Regional Council, Florian Donatus, who faces charges of fraud and money laundering linked to unauthorised spending of N$116,000 from the council account.
"We are required to protect at all costs, but it was embezzled by the person who is supposed to protect it. I waited to hear what action would be taken by the Regional Council on these two aspects. I heard nothing; I therefore came to find out why Cancel is not taking action and not making a decision on this aspect."