Three Gobabis municipal councillors have raised concerns over poor governance after the council failed to provide written answers to key administrative questions.
The councillors, representing A Right to Shelter Foundation of Namibia, have described poor governance, inadequate preparation and the failure to provide written responses to questions submitted ahead of a council meeting as key concerns.
Veronica Kuzeeko, Aletta |Uiras and Wynand Lukas submitted nine questions on 20 August after receiving the council agenda the previous day.
The questions covered municipal contracts, the proposed sale of 100 unserviced plots at Extension 6, the disposal of farm Nuwehoop, the vacant deputy mayor position, skip-container procurement, residential land allocations, prepaid water meters, the road camp handover, and the financial implications of prolonged staff suspensions.
Lukas last week told The Namibian they have received no written response before or during the meeting.
“On [last] Monday, we objected to the continuation of council business, because we need adequate information to exercise our oversight responsibilities and make informed decisions involving public funds,” he said.
The meeting was eventually adjourned following a lengthy debate on the adoption of the agenda, with the councillors saying no date for its continuation was communicated at the time.
They accused the chairperson, mayor Elwin Gariseb, of attempting to intimidate them when they raise questions, insisting that council authority must be exercised in line with the Local Authorities Act of 1992, standing rules and other applicable laws.
“The days when councillors could simply be expected to remain silent in the face of questionable processes, inadequate preparation or the withholding of information are over,” Kuzeeko warned.
She questioned a reported trip undertaken by the municipality’s chief executive, Sophia Eises, and mayor to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, recently, saying the councillors were not formally informed and only became aware of the trip through social media.
Kuzeeko is demanding clarity on who approved and funded the trip, its official purpose, its total costs and expected benefits to the residents of Gobabis.
The councillors this week said they were not alleging wrongdoing and were awaiting documentation before drawing conclusions.
Kuzeeko last Monday called for the adjourned meeting to be properly reconvened and requested a special council meeting to elect the deputy mayor before the ordinary meeting, which could resume on 2 September.
She said their questions are aimed at protecting public resources, municipal land and the interests of Gobabis residents.
However, the municipality last week clarified what it termed “false allegations” regarding a trip to Ethiopia from 19 to 24 August.
“We wish to state the following: International travel for local authorities is approved by the minister of urban and rural development, James Sankwasa, not by the chairperson of the management committee,” its statement reads.
The municipality says the trip was part of a Cabinet decision on a study visit to Ethiopia.
It says the minister invited the Municipality of Gobabis, together with Tsandi Village Council and Nkurenkuru Town Council, to be part of the delegation.
“We remain committed to transparency and accountability,” the municipality says in the statement.
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