The Gobabis deputy mayor and a member of the Right to Shelter Foundation, Dina Fillemon, have refused to vacate the office after the foundation issued her with a notice of suspension and expulsion earlier this month.

The spokesperson of the group, Natasha Kharigus, states that Fillemon remained a card-carrying member of the Right to Shelter Foundation of Namibia and an elected local authority councillor until the court proves her otherwise. 

Kharigus said Fillemon refused to accept the suspension letter from the foundation, citing that the leadership refused to sit and discuss the matter with the town's deputy mayor. 

"I stated firmly because I was lawfully elected and gazetted; if I have done anything wrong, I will ask that it be clearly shown in the right to shelter constitution. Show where it states that a duly elected and gazetted councillor must surrender their position to another person. Show me the clause if such a clause exists. I will accept it; to date no such provision has been presented to me. Instead I have been accused of disobedience. If refusing to give up my lawful position is considered disobedience, then let it be proven according to the constitution. Matters of expulsion or code of conduct cannot be validly addressed without first dealing with the original issue."

 Kharigus said if the foundation's leadership believes they are correct, then it is time to explore other avenues.

Meanwhile, the Right to Shelter Foundation representative, Wynand Lucas, said the foundation will not have further engagements.

Lucas added Fillemon's disciplinary hearing was finalised and she is no longer part of the foundation.

The foundation maintained Fillemon was erroneously gazetted into the post.