Allexer Namundjembo
The Erongo Regional Council (ERC) has resolved to defy a Windhoek High Court order reinstate Benitha Imbamba as chairperson.
Councillors instead decided to retain current chairperson Florian Donatus.
At a special council meeting on Tuesday, councillors voted 4–2 to retain Donatus and to appeal the 1 August judgement.
The court ruled that Imbamba’s March removal through a vote of no confidence was unlawful and ordered her immediate return to office.
Donatus confirmed the council had passed two resolutions, to maintain the current leadership and to challenge the ruling.
He distanced his political party, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), from the dispute.
“Erongo Regional Council affairs are not IPC affairs; hence there is no such advancement from the IPC party,” he said.
He criticised the office of the attorney general, accusing it of political bias and warning the ERC would appoint private lawyers if state representation was withheld.
“We will not allow the Attorney General’s office, which is SWAPO, to choose when to represent us and when not to represent us. It’s their mandate to represent us, but if they don’t want to, we can source legal representation ourselves as ERC,” he said.
Imbamba, a Swapo councillor for the Arandis Constituency, was removed as chairperson on 24 March after a motion of no confidence tabled by IPC’s Deriou Benson.
The motion cited leadership failures, lack of consultation, and divisive conduct. Under the Regional Councils Act, such a motion also dissolves the management committee.
Following her removal, Donatus, the Walvis Bay Rural councillor, was elected chairperson in April.
His appointment came during tensions between Swapo and IPC councillors over the council’s leadership and decision-making.
The High Court’s ruling in Imbamba’s favour has set the stage for a legal and political standoff.
While the court ordered her immediate reinstatement, the ERC says it will resist the move until the appeal process is concluded.
Erongo governor Natalia ǀGoagoses said she has no legal basis to comment on the matter.
However, she did confirm to the Windhoek Observer that she was present at the meeting.
