An urgent interdict court application seeking to reverse the termination of service of three members of the ||Kharas Regional Council was averted after the parties reached a settlement agreement.

The councillors in question, Lazarus Nangolo, Taimi Amakali, and Suzan Ndjaleka, all represent the Swapo Party.

The LPM-dominated council relieved the councillors of their duties without remuneration on January 25 for allegedly absconding council meetings and refusing to accept council management committee member positions.

The ||Kharas Regional Council has explained the reasons for its decision to relieve three Swapo Party councillors of their council duties. 

The LPM-dominated council on Thursday resolved to dismiss councillors Lazarus Nangolo, Suzan Ndjaleka, and Taimi Amakali at a special council meeting held on Thursday. 

The ||Kharas Regional Council Chairperson announced the removal of the three Swapo Party political office bearers from the council at a media conference held at Keetmanshoop.

The Swapo Party has called on the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, to intervene in the ||Kharas Regional Council's state of affairs, whose management committee has been dysfunctional since June last year. 

The ||Kharas Swapo Party Regional Coordinator, Mathew Mumbala, called for the minister's intervention during a media conference at Keetmanshoop. 

This came after the LPM-dominated council on Thursday terminated what they called the council membership of three Swapo Party representatives, Lazarus Nangolo, Suzan Ndjaleka, and Taimi Amakali. 

The Fonteintjie Fish Farming Community Project at Keetmanshoop has almost lost all its fish stock due to a power outage.  

The power outage came as a result of an electricity supply disconnection for the project by Keetmanshoop Municipality in December last year because of an unpaid debt of more than N$1 million.  

The project manager of Fonteintjie Fish Farm,  Peter Simasiku, says thousands of fish fingerlings have died to date due to a lack of oxygen. 

He explained that the power outage caused a loss of oxygen in the fish ponds. 

Another by-election could be held in the Keetmanshoop Rural Constituency after the Landless People's Movement (LPM) recalled its regional councilor, Gerrit Witbooi.

LPM's Operative Secretary Dawid Eigub informed ||Kharas Regional Council that it has released Witbooi from his position with immediate effect.

However, the letter did not state reasons that supported the party's withdrawal decision.

Recently, the party had suspended Witbooi from participating in the ||Kharas Regional Council activities for a period of three months.

The ||Kharas Regional Council has achieved almost 90% of its activities as contained in 2017 to 2022 strategic plan. 

Acting Chief Regional Officer, Benedictus Diergaardt revealed this on the side lines of stakeholders meeting aimed at reviewing the Council's Strategic Plan. 

The Council's Strategic Plan is built on pillars that include socio-economic development, stakeholder management and organizational performance. 

The ||Kharas Regional Council has allocated N$ 150 000 to rehabilitate the entrance of Keetmanshoop State Hospital.

This was revealed by the Keetmanshoop Rural Constituency Councillor, Gertjie Witbooi during a demonstration at Keetmanshoop where community members demanded the opening of the southern entrance for vehicles. 

Currently, patients and visitors to the state hospital are making use of the northern entrance to access medical services when transported by private or public transport.

The Landless People's Movement (LPM) has suspended its councilor on the ||Kharas Regional Council, Gerrit Witbooi, for a period of three months.

Witbooi has been on the council since his election as Keetmanshoop Rural Constituency Councillor in 2020. 

The letter restraining Councillor Witbooi from partaking in council activities was confirmed by the party's spokesperson, Eneas Emvula. 

Equally, LPM banned the councilor from attending five council meetings, including extraordinary ones, and six council management meetings.

||Kharas Regional Council's acting Chief Regional Officer, Benedictus Diergaardt, is concerned over alleged absenteeism among some teachers from Keetmanshoop's Kronlein Primary School.
 
Addressing the occasion that signaled the school's jubilee celebrations at the weekend, Diergaardt said concerned parents inundate his office with complaints over teacher absenteeism at the said school.

The Acting Chief Regional Officer of the ||Kharas Regional Council, Benny Diergaardt, says about 90 households at Snyfontein will soon be connected to electricity.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy and the ||Kharas Regional Council are the custodians of the project.

Snyfontein has a population of just under 300 residents, consisting of mostly pensioners and unemployed youth.

Residents have for years been urging authorities to provide electricity to the settlement as most, including government buildings, make use of solar panels for their electricity needs.