Africa-Press – Namibia. Auleria Wakudumo
The Outapi Town Council has pushed back against claims that its recent trip to Windhoek was unauthorised. It says the visit formed part of planned strategic engagements and followed established procedures.
This comes after a report alleging that Outapi mayor Victorina Neingo, CEO Ananias Nashilongo and management committee chairperson Gerson Dumeni travelled to Windhoek without the endorsement of the full council.
The CEO confirmed that an official delegation travelled to Windhoek from 8 to 10 April 2026. However, Nashilongo stressed that the trip was neither secret nor irregular.
“The assertion that the visit was ‘unauthorised’ is incorrect and misleading,” he said. He explained that the visit was part of ongoing efforts to improve service delivery, reduce costs and strengthen infrastructure development in Outapi. The Council said, on 8 April, the delegation met with the National Youth Service to explore a possible partnership for providing security services. “Currently, the town spends more than N$3 million annually on private security. The talks were aimed at finding more cost-effective alternatives,” he said. Nashilongo stated that, on 10 April, the delegation held further engagements with the City of Windhoek, focusing on technical cooperation, including the potential for Outapi to develop its own capacity to manufacture waste skip containers.
The discussions also served as a follow-up to a formal request seen by New Era, submitted in January 2025 for the donation of waste management equipment, as well as earlier engagements between the two councils. The Council noted that these interactions are part of a long-standing cooperation agreement between the two local authorities, first established in 2002 and renewed in 2022.
Nashilongo addressed concerns over authorisation. He said the engagements stem from prior resolutions and administrative processes initiated in 2025 and are aligned with preparations for the 2026/2027 budget.
He further argued that, under the Local Authorities Act, the mayor is mandated to represent the council in advancing its strategic interests. Such duties do not require fresh council approval each time. The Council also maintained that internal communication was issued regarding the absence of key officials in line with administrative procedures.
The Council also dismissed allegations of a similar “unauthorised” trip in December 2025, saying the visit was in fact a scheduled meeting with the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. Documents seen by New Era show that the meeting was formally requested in October 2025 and later confirmed by urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa before being rescheduled and eventually held in December. “This engagement was duly authorised and cannot be classified as unauthorised,” Nashilongo stressed.
The council further clarified reports that the political leadership took part in a benchmarking visit on informal trading and CCTV systems in Windhoek. It said that visit was conducted by officials from the local economic development department in February 2026, not by the mayor or political leadership as previously reported.
Despite the controversy, the council reiterated its commitment to transparency and collective governance.
“The Outapi Town Council remains committed to accountability and will continue to engage constructively with all stakeholders in advancing the development of the town,” he said.
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