Absalom Shigwedha
7 May 2008
Windhoek — FORMER Caprivi Regional Governor Bernard Sibalatani was yesterday sworn in as a Swapo MP in the National Council, ending an acrimonious chapter in the relations between the Caprivi regional councillors.
Sibalatani was sworn in by Chief Justice Peter Shivute and replaces Leonard Mwilima, who took over from him as governor of the region in December last year.
In a move that was seen as breaking with the tradition of not questioning instructions from Swapo headquarters, the councillors defied a ruling party directive that all serving governors on regional councils controlled by Swapo would remain in their positions until the 2010 elections.
Dissatisfaction with the performance of Governor Sibalatani led to the step, which was allegedly steered by four of the six councillors.
The councillors made use of a provision in the Regional Council Act of 1992, which stipulates that every three years a chairperson of the Regional Council Management must be elected, "who shall be the Governor of the Regional Council".
Two councillors were nominated - Sibalatani and Mwilima - but Sibalatani was not seconded.
This simple measure effectively ousted Sibalatani, who had held the post since 1999.
Despite interventions by the Swapo national leadership spearheaded at the time by Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, the regional leadership refused to budge, with the party in the end deciding to redeploy Sibalatani to the National Council.
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