Fransina Ndateelela Kahungu (born 1970) is a Namibian female politician serving as a City of Windhoek Councilor, where she previously served as Deputy Mayor of Windhoek in 2016 and 2017 and Mayor of Windhoek from 2019 to 2020. Kahungu is currently the SWAPO Party Women Council (SPWC) Secretary, succeeding Eunice Iipinge in February 2022.[1]

Early life and education

Kahungu hails from the village of Okapanda. In order to receive a diploma in education at the University of Namibia, she moved to Windhoek in 1994. As a student at Ombalantu Senior Secondary School, Kahungu became involved in politics as a member of the Namibia National Students Organisation. From 1998 to 2017, Kahungu worked first as a teacher and then an administrator at Olof Palme Primary School, located in the Windhoek informal settlement of Greenwell Matongo.

Political career

She was first elected as a member of the Windhoek City Council in 2010 and became the Deputy Secretary of the SPWC in 2016. While on the city council, she served as Deputy Mayor of Windhoek in 2016 and 2017.[2]

She was elected as mayor of the city on 13 December 2019, after the incumbent mayor Muesee Kazapua was absent for the municipality's internal elections.[3][4] According to a report by the Namibia Press Agency, Kazapua and city spokesperson Harold Akwenye both asserted that the city's leadership had not changed, and that Kazapua was still mayor of the city. Agatha Ashilelo, the chair of the City of Windhoek management committee, stated that Kahungu had replaced Kazapua as mayor according to a decision made by the SWAPO Regional Executive Committee.[5]

In January 2020, the Namibia Economist and the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Office of the Mayor announced its relocation from central Windhoek to a community centre located in the informal settlement of Babylon, while the Office of the Deputy Mayor was to remain in the original location. The arrangement was set to remain for the duration of Kahungu's term as mayor.[6][7]

On 2 December 2020, Job Amupanda was elected mayor after the opposition voted in his favour.[8][9]

References

  1. ↑ Namibian, The. "Kahungu elected as SPWC leader". The Namibian. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  2. ↑ Ikela, Selma (18 December 2019). "Fransina Kahungu: From classroom to mayor". New Era Live. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  3. ↑ "Fransina Kahungu elected Mayor of Windhoek". Namibian Broadcasting Corporation. 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  4. ↑ "Kazapua is no show at Windhoek elections". The Namibian. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  5. ↑ "City of Windhoek has rubbished reports that Windhoek Mayor, has been booted out of his mayoral post". Windhoek: Namibia Press Agency. 11 December 2019 – via The Free Library.
  6. ↑ "Windhoek Mayor relocates office to Babylon". Namibian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 January 2020. Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Rasmeni, Mandisa (21 January 2020). "Windhoek Mayor moves her office to Babylon". Namibia Economist. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Progressive forces will take charge of Windhoek – Amupanda". The Namibian. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  9. ↑ Tjitemisa, Kuzeeko (3 December 2020). "Job's mayoral dream comes true". New Era Live. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
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