By: Hertha Ekandjo

Ex-Independent Patriot for Change (IPC) councillor of the Swakopmund constituency, Ciske Smith-Howard, says that her dismissal as a councillor did not come as a surprise and that she expected it.

“I received information from the party today, saying that I am fired from the party and am no longer a member of IPC,” said Smith-Howard.

She added that she expected it, and it didn’t come as a surprise because she refused to resign. 

Smith-Howard said that she had no idea why she was told to leave the party, and it came as a shock to her when she was asked to resign or she would get fired.

“I have a court order that states that no disciplinary may be brought against me,” she said.

According to Smith-Howard, IPC held an arbitration committee meeting where she was found guilty of something unknown to her, out of her presence as she didn’t attend the committee meeting due to family commitments during Easter.

Smith-Howard stated that she hadn’t achieved enough during her time as councillor. She said she wanted to do more as a councillor.

“As a councillor, I have established a greenhouse at my office that has begun to produce greenery. I was at the brink of having small, and mediums enterprises better banking benefits and engage with banks to help them,” said Howard-Smith.

A letter by IPC informing Smith-Howard of her dismissal on Tuesday states that during an interview with Windhoek Observer, said that she was not in for the IPC leadership and that IPC cannot be as hostile as they want.

According to IPC, Smith-Howard said that the party could try to stop her in that same interview, but they couldn’t bring their best shot.

During the interview, Smith-Howard allegedly told Windhoek Observer that IPC president Panduleni Itula wasn’t elected as president of the party and that he has no standing in the constitution of IPC.

IPC added that Smith-Howard inappropriately called IPC leaders spineless in a WhatsApp group.

At that time, Smith-Howard allegedly said that it was a sickness in IPC that they decided to withdraw councillors and that IPC and Itula had no power to remove councillors.

The attribution committee concluded its determination and submitted recommendations to the party. The steering committee of the party upheld this.  

After that, IPC wrote a letter to Smith-Howard on 16 May asking her to resign, or she would get fired.

According to the letter, Smith-Howard was requested to ‘show cause’, but she ignored it.

The letter stated that Smith-Howard’s membership in IPC has been terminated with immediate effect.

IPC told Smith-Howard that she no longer had any legitimate basis to remain as an IPC regional councillor for the Erongo region.

Smith-Howard was then asked to surrender any IPC property, including her IPC membership card.