Africa-Press – Namibia. The minister of urban and rural development, James Sankwasa, has expressed deep concern over Ondangwa Town Council’s decision to implement a travelling and subsistence allowance (T&S) policy in defiance of a ministerial directive.
Speaking during his visit to assess the implementation of council capital projects, Sankwasa said the local authority had disregarded lawful instructions and warned that such practices eroded accountability in local governance.
“Despite a directive from the minister advising against it, you went ahead and implemented a travelling allowance policy different from what was approved. A violation of the law should not be big or small, once you go against the rules, you undermine the integrity of the entire institution,” Sankwasa stressed.
The minister also demanded answers regarding the council’s failure to submit a detailed report on outstanding revenue owed by government ministries and local businesses.
He noted that since April, he had been waiting for the report, which should include a time analysis showing how long the debts had been outstanding.
“My reason for asking this type of report was that in some local authorities, ordinary residents are the victims of water cuts. A pensioner owing a municipality N$1 000 gets cut off, yet a business owing thousands continues to receive free service,” he said.
Sankwasa insisted that the report would provide a clear picture of Ondangwa Town Council’s financial position and expose inequities in service delivery between residents and powerful institutions.
Turning to the auditor general’s report, the minister questioned whether the council had shared the findings with all councillors or discussed them thoroughly. His concern was heightened when some councillors appeared unfamiliar with key issues raised in the audit report.
“An auditor general’s report states the financial position of the organisation, it shows what is being done correctly and what is not. If councillors themselves are not fully aware of it, then who is safeguarding accountability on behalf of the residents?” Sankwasa asked.
CEO salary controversy
One of the most pressing issues flagged in the audit was the salary adjustment of the town council’s CEO. The council admitted it had increased the CEO’s salary despite receiving a letter from the minister disapproving of the move.
The chairperson of the management committee Julia Kapiya, defended the decision, saying they wanted to retain the CEO who had received interest from an international employer.
To prevent his departure, they resolved to benchmark his salary with those of executives in Oshakati and Ongwediva.
“When our CEO wanted to leave, we, as councillors, resolved to keep him. We increased the salary so that he could remain with Ondangwa,” Kapiya explained.
Sankwasa argued that by law, only the minister can approve salary adjustments for senior local authority officials.
Sankwasa reminded councillors that their role is to serve residents within the framework of the law, not to make unilateral decisions outside their mandate.
“When you disregard procedures, you are not just breaking a rule, you are betraying the residents who expect transparency and accountability,” the minister warned.
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