Sankwasa likened to Trump for withholding Kunene budget

Senior government authorities, including Kunene governor Vipuakuje Muharukua and the Office of the President, have failed to intervene as urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa continues to withhold approval of the Kunene Regional Council's budget allocation, council chairperson Western Muharukua has alleged.

The standoff, which has persisted since March, has left the council unable to access its government subsidy after the minister declined to sign off on the budget, despite all other required approvals having been secured.

As a result, council has exhausted its funds and was unable to pay June salaries to employees, including constituency councillors.

At the centre of the dispute is Sankwasa's objection to the council's 2021 decision to reinstate George Kamseb as chief regional officer.

That decision was challenged in court, with the High Court ruling in October 2025 that the council should set aside the reinstatement. Both the council and Kamseb subsequently appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, where the matter remains pending.

Yesterday, Western Muharukua described the minister's decision to withhold the budget while the appeal is before the Supreme Court as "draconian".

He accused Sankwasa, whom he dubbed "the Donald Trump of Namibia", of disregarding the welfare of Kunene residents.

"Withholding people's salaries affects hundreds of families, including children. Development projects driven by the regional council have also stalled because the 'Donald Trump of Namibia' is allowed to do what he pleases," he told Namibian Sun.

He argued that the minister should allow the judicial process to run its course.

"The matter is still before court. Why can't he wait for the ruling? We were duly authorised by the High Court to appeal to the Supreme Court, which is well within our rights."

According to Western Muharukua, the financial paralysis has brought development projects to a standstill.

"We are crippled. A clinic and a sewerage project have stalled. We are in the red and cannot meet our obligations to banks and service providers. Interest charges due to non-payment are piling up."

He said the crisis has also had severe consequences for council employees.

"People can't pay for their houses and cars. They are struggling to feed their children without a salary."

Governor criticised

Western Muharukua dismissed criticism from governor Vipuakuje Muharukua after the governor rebuked councillors for failing to attend his State of the Region Address (SORA) in Opuwo yesterday. Only two of the council's seven councillors attended the event.

Several absent councillors, including Western, said they lacked the funds to travel to Opuwo.

"I am the councillor for Opuwo Rural Constituency. To drive to Opuwo, I need money for fuel, accommodation and food, and right now I simply don't have that," he said.

"Some of us have been slaughtering our livestock to raise money to carry out our official duties, and that's simply not fair. Our travel allowances have been stopped since October 2025, yet we are still expected to attend official events outside our constituencies."

The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) councillor accused the governor of placing loyalty to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah above the interests of Kunene residents.

"I saw his barbaric remarks about our absence from his SORA. They were stupid remarks because he knows exactly what the truth is, but he is more interested in appeasing his appointing authority."

Appeals for intervention

Western Muharukua said the council has sought intervention from several senior government offices without success.

"We met minister in the presidency Charles Mubita, who promised to pursue the matter further. We also wrote to the Office of the Prime Minister through executive director Shivute Indongo and approached the Cabinet secretariat. None of these offices has intervened to resolve the situation."

Prime minister rejects political motive

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare yesterday rejected claims that government deliberately withheld the salaries of public servants in Kunene for political reasons, describing the situation as a technical administrative problem rather than a deliberate act.

Responding to questions from PDM leader McHenry Venaani in the National Assembly, Ngurare said there was no government mechanism through which officials intentionally withheld public servants' salaries.

"There is no structure of government in Namibia where somebody would deliberately stop the salaries of public servants. I don't believe there is anything of that sort," he said.

Venaani argued that, for the first time in Namibia's history, employees across an entire region had gone unpaid because of a dispute over the appointment of the chief regional officer.

He questioned the legal basis for withholding salaries over an employment dispute.

"Imagine if the salaries of the entire parliament were stopped because there was a problem with the appointment of the Secretary."

Venaani further alleged that Kunene was being politically targeted because Swapo sits in opposition in the regional council, which is controlled by the PDM and the UDF.

Of Kunene's seven constituencies, the PDM controls three, while Swapo and the United Democratic Front (UDF) each hold two.