At the same time, pressure is mounting on President Hifikepunye Pohamba to toe the line and do the same at national level.
On Friday, Mayor Matheus Shikongo was withdrawn from his position at 11h00, barely a day and a half after three fellow Swapo Party city councillors were summarily booted.
But the Swapo Khomas regional executive is said to have made a U-turn at an emergency meeting that took place at the party's national headquarters at 12h00 on Friday.
The meeting lasted nearly two hours and saw the decision reversed.
Mayor Shikongo and city councillors Dr Björn von Finckenstein, Linea Shaetonhodi and Hileni Ilonga were to be reinstated again and to receive a letter to that effect by Friday afternoon, a Swapo source told The Namibian later the same day.
The three councillors received their letters of removal around 17h00 on Wednesday .
They did not attend the monthly City Council meeting on Thursday night, where Mayor Shikongo announced that they had been withdrawn and would be replaced by three other Swapo members – soon.
Shikongo himself was withdrawn from the City Council by the regional executive 15 hours later.
The reason for all four dismissals was allegedly (Swapo) constitutional misconduct, but no details were given.
UNPROCEDURAL'
Sources said Swapo Secretary General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana had instructed the regional executive that their move was illegal because party procedures had not been followed.
According to the same sources, Ithana was not aware of the withdrawals until they appeared in the newspapers and the same went for President Pohamba, party vice-president Hage Geingob and deputy Secretary General Nangolo Mbumba.
We want the process to be done procedurally. They (regional executive) were going too far. It is just a matter of them to follow the procedures, said one source.
It became clear over the weekend that the withdrawals will not remain on hold for long.
They will go. That is as clear as the sky. It is just a matter of time before they will go. The only difference this time will be that it will be procedural, said one source.
Another said they knew that those being recalled would fight back.
It will be a political gymnastics supremo. It's a major internal correction of the party and it will continue until the electoral convention, targeting bigger fish. The pressure will be on the Head of State (President Pohamba) to replicate the party's action, said one source.
Sources said Geingob phoned Iivula-Ithana on Friday after he heard of Shikongo's removal.
Shikongo is believed to have a strong support base in Katutura among the Ombwitis' – Oshiwambo speakers who were not born north of Oshivelo.
Some argued that his removal could dent the party's votes in the upcoming elections.
NUJOMA FACTOR
Insiders say that the whole cleansing exercise within Swapo was directed by those close to former President Sam Nujoma.
This is not done by regional Swapo leaders on their own, nobody would dare doing it. If Nujoma gave instructions to clean' local and regional councils, then nobody dares to go against such instructions. It would be their own downfall, the source told The Namibian.
The internal correction exercise inside Swapo will continue this year to prepare for the upcoming national elections and it will shake up members from top to bottom.
Meanwhile, sources said the purge would soon continue at several towns in the South such as Keetmanshoop, Mariental and Rehoboth as well as in the North at Helao Nafidi and Oshakati.
All those being booted are accused of hibernating in Swapo while being alleged sympathisers of RDP.
It is believed that a list of so-called hibernators was allegedly drawn up by trusted Swapo cadres and it is being kept under wraps, sparking fear among party members.
This is utterly ridiculous and totally undemocratic, said Nico Smit, who serves as city councillor for the Republican Party (RP).
Swapo is in a mess and its national leaders don't know which way to go, but they have removed the most capable (Windhoek) town councillors of their party, Smit told The Namibian on Friday.
While Shaetenhodi and Ilonga were out of town, Von Finckenstein told The Namibian on Saturday that he had yet to receive the letter indicating that his withdrawal had been put on hold.
No, not yet. I am about to travel out of the country for several days, he said when asked whether he had received the letter.
He did not attend the 12h00 meeting on Friday chaired by Ithana, well-placed sources said.
By yesterday morning Shikongo had also not received the letter of reinstatement.
He would neither confirm nor deny whether he attended Friday's meeting.
All I can tell you is that I was told late Friday that the national leadership was not informed about the decision of the Khomas regional executive of the Swapo Party to remove Windhoek town councillors, he told The Namibian.
Shikongo confirmed he was further told by Swapo leaders that he and the other three councillors would be reinstated and would receive a letter to that effect.
Michael Mwinga, Swapo's regional co-ordinator for the Khomas Region, hung up the telephone yesterday when The Namibian asked him when the letters of reinstatement would be sent out. His cellphone remained switched off.
Those supporting the recall of the councillors claimed that they were flabbergasted that the Windhoek regional executive's move was nullified by the head office while similar action taken at the coast against former Walvis Bay Mayor King' Mandume Muatunga and Loth Vatilifa was ignored even though the top four in the party were not informed in advance.
What is the difference to Windhoek? How are the group in Windhoek different to the two guys in Walvis? one fumed.
Procedurally the withdrawals should have been approved by the top four and the Politburo should also be informed.
Based on the number of withdrawals to take place before the convention, we are not sure how many times the Politburo must then meet to be informed about this. Swapo must just allow us to continue with the process and rid the party of these unwanted individuals, said one supporting the withdrawals.
The Namibian
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