2023-12-16 11:58:00
He still has the title of alderman, can attend college meetings, retains his salary and his office. But Jettois alderman Jacob Kamuanga now no longer has any scabinal skills to exercise. A situation that has been going on since the fall, but that no one really wanted to publicize in the northwest of Brussels.
To understand, return in October 2021. Arriving as a CDH alderman in 2018 following having passed through the PS in 2012, Jacob Kamuanga became independent following a “dispute” with the majority then led by Hervé Doyen (LE). In 2018, an agreement provided for the alderman to give up his place mid-term. Which he ultimately refused to do when the moment arrived. Following the refusal, Hervé Doyen retired, Claire Vandevivere became mayor and Nathalie Vandebrande became president of the CPAS. For his part, Jacob Kamuanga found himself with a reduced portfolio of skills.
Two years later, in October 2023, twist: Kamuanga joins Défi. Now his skills are removed. An unprecedented situation in the Brussels Region, which can only be found in Schaerbeek with another Défi representative, Michel De Herde, since his indictment. In the past, the socialist alderman Merry Hermanus also found himself without competence in Jette in 2009.
At Défi, the return to the forefront of the old rivalry between the Maingain and Clerfayt families
“It was he who excluded himself”
“He did not respect his word”, justifies mayor Claire Vandevivere (LE). “At first, he still said he was part of the majority. But then we learned that he was going to join Défi. It is complicated to leave skills to an alderman from an opposition group. He’s the one who self-excluded.”
Since then, Kamuanga no longer has any files and attends the college sessions with relative assiduity… “He comes when it suits him and says absolutely nothing,” slips a member of the college of aldermen.
“He spends his time going to events, shaking hands”
In Jette, the situation irritates many agents. “He is no longer in charge of anything but spends his time going to events, shaking hands, promising things… His goal is to make votes,” annoys a member of the majority. “He constantly poses as a victim, it’s nonsense. It’s a weather vane.”
Remember that in the Brussels Region, unlike Wallonia, it is not possible to fire an alderman. Only the agent himself can decide to leave. Without skills, the alderman therefore still receives his salary which he would still accumulate with his income as an employee at the CPAS of Brussels-City. “It’s his ethics and his morals,” comments the mayor. “That is problematic. It would be normal for him to resign since he no longer takes care of anything and has been disowned by his initial formation,” judges Xavier Van Cauter, PS advisor, the main opposition party to Jette.
The local Défi… does not want him on the municipal list
An opinion shared… by the local Défi itself. “A question of ethics.” Because the arrival of the defector alderman remains in the throat of the Jettois amaranths, who have not given their agreement. “We don’t want him on our municipal list,” asserts Myriam Vanderzippe. Since this fall, there has been trouble between the Jettoise section and the central management of Défi, which reserves a place on the regional list for the alderman.
The Brussels president of Amarantes Fabian Maingain reconfirms this and disapproves of the withdrawal of Jettois’ skills by the LE-Ecolo-MR majority. “We are trying to smear him and put pressure on him. We must not reverse the roles. He just wants to recover his skills and practice his profession.” Contacted, Jacob Kamuanga did not respond to our requests.
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