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The management of the Karasburg Local Authority and the Landless People's Movement (LPM)-led town council are at loggerheads over the appointment of a Personal Assistant to the Mayor.

LPM headhunted Kallie Goliath against the requirements of the Local Authority Act, which stipulates procedures to be followed before the creation of any new position in the council structure.

The Swapo Party in the ||Kharas Region is the latest to join the controversy, calling on the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to terminate the appointment of Goliath as the position he now holds is not provided for in the council structure.

In a media statement, the party's Information and Mobilising Secretary in the Region, Irene Laberloth, charged that the LPM-dominated council simply appointed a party loyalist.

Laberloth also called for the immediate nullification of the secondment of Keetmanshoop HR Official Hansiena Isaak as Acting CEO.

In a letter to the Karasburg Town Council, dated May 30, Executive Director in the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development Daniel Nghidinua informed the council that the ministry was not in a position to give the go-ahead for the creation of a PA position to the Mayor.

The ED stated that no submission was given for the minister's approval as required in the Local Authority Act.

Nghidinua advised the council to motivate and fill the PA position after following the legal and administrative processes.

Of the seven council seats, LPM holds four, followed by Swapo with two and IPC with one.

Meanwhile, LPM Policy Unit Chairperson Lazarus Kairabeb, in an open letter to Minister Erastus Uutoni, condemned what he termed as insubordination and attempts to manipulate political office bearers.

nbc News understands administrative staff have refused to hand over documents to the seconded Acting CEO.

The police had to be called in to intervene and ensure the handover of the documents.

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Luqman Cloete