Renthia Kaimbi
The Republican Party (RP) ended its pact with the Henties Bay Ratepayers Association (HRPA) after a last-minute decision to replace the HRPA’s candidate on its council list, triggering a public fallout between the two groups.
The move came days before the swearing-in ceremony.
Manfred Katjoko was sworn in as a town councillor on Friday and appointed to the management committee.
He filled the second RP seat, replacing Willem Jansen, whose name had already been gazetted on the list submitted to the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). RP president Henk Mudge accused Jansen of insubordination and said the party could not proceed with him.
In a letter dated 29 November, Mudge informed HRPA Chairperson Con Swart that the RP would only submit the names of Danie Wehl and Katjoko, cutting the earlier agreement that gave the HRPA the second spot.
Mudge said Jansen made it clear he wouldn’t submit to the RP or him as president. He also said the RP is a party that values order and discipline.
A meeting on 1 December meant to resolve the dispute instead worsened tensions.
Mudge said he was in “absolute shock” at how RP officials were treated and immediately terminated the coalition.
Mudge maintained that the HRPA was “an unregistered organisation in coalition with the RP” and said the association had to follow the RP’s constitution and rules.
“We reached an agreement that we’re going to remove the person that was on the list as number two of the ratepayer’s association simply because he publicly declared that he will not honour the authority of the Republican Party and especially not my leadership. So, that’s obviously disqualifying him immediately. He is out, and we got somebody else in,” he told the Windhoek Observer.
In a press release on Friday, the HRPA rejected the RP’s version of events. It disputed the reasons given for removing Jansen and described the RP’s actions as authoritarian.
The association said its agreement with the RP was concluded at national level and was clear and undisputed. It argued that the RP did not take part in the Henties Bay campaign and that its members only contacted the RP office for administrative ECN submissions under the HRPA’s authority, mandate, and guidance.
The HRPA said some of its members showed a sudden shift in allegiance after the results were released on 28 November.
It condemned Jansen’s removal without due process or proper communication shortly after the ECN announcement, saying the decision was unacceptable.
The association also warned that the authoritarian or top-down conduct it observed had damaged its reputation.
The association put the RP under notice and threatened to mobilise community sentiment if such actions persisted.
