WINDHOEK ELVIS MURARANGANDA
The ongoing battle of wills between the Okahandja town council and its management committee has intensified after Mayor David !Uri-#Khob overwrote the committee's decision to suspend the town's CEO.
!Uri-#Khob allegedly wrote a letter to the council and reinstated suspended CEO Frans Enkali just days after he was suspended by the management committee, which consists of chairperson Valerie Aron, Andreas Bezuidenhoudt and Samson Mieze.
The mayor, his deputy Paulina Kuyandeka and the council are allegedly involved in a power tussle with the management committee under Aron's leadership.
Aron yesterday confirmed to Namibian Sun that !Uri-#Khob had sent the instruction reinstating Enkali.
"He [Enkali] was suspended by the MC as the legitimate body and the supervisor of the CEO. The MC has the mandate to suspend or appoint the CEO," said Aron.
"The mayor does not have the mandate to reinstate him. He cannot send a letter from his house saying he [Enkali] must be reinstated. The mayor is on sick leave and not representing a body."
Enkali also spoke to this paper yesterday and said: "I received my letter [from the mayor] and tomorrow [today] I will be at work. I will stand my ground."
Regarding the committee's statement that !Uri-#Khob does not have the right to reinstate him, he responded: "They must prove that in terms of the act."
He added that !Uri-#Khob as the mayor of the town does not have to be in the office to do his work.
The widening cracks between the two centres of power is said to have started during the time of the Swapo vice-presidency primary race.
Last week when Enkali was handed his suspension letter by Aron and Mieze he refused to sign the document, saying that the committee had been dissolved and the members were under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
He said the committee was dissolved after the council adopted a vote of no confidence in them, and therefore they were not in a position to suspend him.
The motion of no confidence was tabled by !Uri-#Khob and seconded by Deputy Mayor Paulina Kuyandeka.