Staff Reporter
JOHANNES Ndeutepo, the controversial former mayor of Omuthiya town in the Oshikoto Region who lives permanently in Windhoek, has finally vacated his local council seat, succumbing to unrelenting pressure from Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa.
His resignation letter reached his fellow councillors while they were attending a council meeting on Friday.
Ndeutepo relocated to Windhoek in May last year when he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Mineworkers Investment Company (NAM-MIC).
Recently, Minister Sankwasa found that Ndeutepo’s retention as an Omuthiya local councillor was irregular and ordered his removal, but Ndeutepo hit back, accusing the minister of overstepping the limits of his powers.
However, Ndeutepo resigned on Friday after the Omuthiya district of the SWAPO Party reportedly met earlier in the week and threw their support behind Minister Sankwasa, demanding that Ndeutepo resign with immediate effect or risk being recalled by the party.
The resignation of Ndeutepo leaves the Omuthiya local authority with only five councillors.
The IPC’s Nghipudilo Ya Shiindi resigned from the council in May when she relocated to Windhoek, but Gottlieb Mhata, who on 10 July was nominated to replace her, has not yet been sworn in.
