DEMOTED municipal managers Nimrod Swartz and Josef Rooi have racked up a hefty N$53 000 legal bill in a fight for reinstatement against the Keetmanshoop Town Council.

Rooi and Swartz were relegated to managers when their their appointments as strategic executives by the previous council were nullified by the council in March 2011.

The two won the first round of the legal battle when the town council was ordered to reinstate them as strategic executives.

However, towards the end of last year the council won an appeal against the arbitration order.

Claiming he is unable to pay his legal fees, Rooi is appealing to the council to pay half.

"As the last option and resort in meeting these commitments, I humble myself and seek for council's indulgence to assist me financially to defray half of the total legal cost which are attributed to me," a letter Rooi wrote to council reads.

Rooi and Swartz have a combined legal bill of almost N$53 000.