Swakopmund Municipality office-bearer elections postponed

Swakopmund District Magistrate Lucia Elishi postponed the elections of the 2024 Swakopmund Municipality office-bearers on Thursday after the election process between two nominated candidates ended in a tie twice.

The two candidates were current Mayor Dina Namubes of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and Matthias Henrichsen of the Swakopmund Residents’ Association.

Namubes was nominated by fellow party member Petrus Shimhanda and seconded by United Democratic Front’s (UDF) David Am-!Abeb, who is also the current deputy mayor.

Henrichsen was nominated by fellow party member Wilfried Groenewald and seconded by Landless People’s Movement (LPM) Blasius Goraseb, which then led to the polls.

The voting process in which eight councillors took part, resulted in three votes for each of the candidates but two abstained from voting, while two were absent without any form of indication.

Magistrate Elishi then resolved to postpone the election to a later date.

Meanwhile, the Walvis Bay Municipality maintained the status quo and re-elected IPC’s Trevino Forbes and Sarah Mutondoka as mayor and deputy mayor respectively.

Popular Democratic Movement’s (PDM) Richard Hoaeb, IPC’s Olivia Andrews, IPC’s Leroy Victor and Ronald Bramwel of the Walvis Bay Residents’ Association also retained their positions in the management committee once again chaired by Hoaeb, while Swapo’s Paulus Kauhondamwa was elected as alternate member, replacing LPM’s Ryan Gordon.

Henties Bay also re-elected the Republican Party’s (RP) Lewies Vermaak and Swapo’s Renier Kamati mayor and deputy mayor respectively.

UDF’s Michael Skini remains as the MC’s chairperson, with PDM’s Memrod Haraseb, IPC’s Sifried //Garoeb and RP’s Peet Swart as ordinary members of the MC, and Swapo’s Paulus Imbamba as alternate member.

(NAMPA)
IB/AS
(NAMPA)