Zambezi erupts as Sankwasa demands refunds for unauthorized trip

Urban and Rural Development Minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa has ordered the Zambezi Regional Council to pay back money reportedly spent on an “unnecessary and unauthorized” trip to Botswana and Zambia, after he had disapproved the travel due to a lack of funding.In a letter dated 10 October addressed to Governor Dorothy Kabula, Sankwasa stated that the Zambezi Regional Council had requested approval for official travel outside Namibia from 28 September to 1 October 2025. The request, however, was declined on the basis that the trip was not economically beneficial to the country and that the council’s travel budget had already been exhausted, as advised by the council’s Deputy Director of Finance Cecilia Sibitwani.“However, on 25 September 2025, you submitted your request to Her Excellency, the President, for your authorisation to travel to Kasane, Botswana and Mongu, Zambia,” Sankwasa wrote. “In the second last paragraph of your submission, you stated that ‘I will be accompanied by Matengu Simushi, Chairperson of the Regional Council (who happens to be your husband), Honourable Councillors Humphrey Divai, Kennedy Simasiku and Ivene Kabunga, including Ms. Regina Ndopu, who is on suspension per Council Resolution which has never been rescinded, "“This was done after the Honourable Councillors and concerned staff members had already been informed about the disapproval of their travelling by my office. Good corporate governance does not allow mixing marriage relationships to override administrative requirements,” Sankwasa wrote.He further explained that Article 32 (3)(i)(dd) of the Constitution provides that the President has the power to appoint Ministers and Deputy Ministers, while Articles 40 and 41 set out their duties, functions and accountability. “In accordance with the provisions of sub-article (k) and other legislation governing the management of state finances and public service administration, I issued the directive disapproving the travelling of Councillors,” he added.Sankwasa said he is individually accountable for the administration of his Ministry, which includes oversight of Regional Councils, in line with the Regional Councils Act and other related legislation.He further directed that the Accounting Officer recover all monies irregularly paid for the “unnecessary and unauthorised” travel to Kasane and Mongu, which he said resulted in a deliberate loss to the state.The requested amount for the trip was N$136 397 for Zambezi Regional Council staff. In an internal memo dated 1 October, the Council’s Deputy Director for Finance, Sibitwani, said she understood the importance of the trip but advised that the Governor could proceed without the Council due to unavailability of funds. “Currently, we are sitting without toilet paper in the toilets and other office materials due to unavailability of funds. Moreover, the Zambezi Regional Council’s budget estimates for the 2025/26 financial year are not yet approved, but the expenditures to date have escalated,” Sibitwani wrote. “Furthermore, Council did not obtain ministerial approval in this regard. The only authorisation attached is from the State House, authorising the Hon. Governor to travel to those places.”She added that the Council’s annual subsistence and travel budget was N$2,450,600, with N$1,495,991 already spent by early September and more claims pending.Following the minister’s disapproval, Kabula wrote to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah requesting authorisation to undertake an official trip to Mongu, Zambia, to meet with the provincial minister to strengthen regional collaboration and cross-border engagements. The request was later approved by Senior Presidential Advisor Christine //Hoebes.When contacted for comment on Sunday, Kabula said her trip to Mongu and Kasane was approved by the Head of State and that she reports to the President, not to Minister Sankwasa. “My appointing authority is the President, Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. She is the one who appointed me, not Minister Sankwasa. Therefore, my trip was known to her, and the authorisation came from her office. I could not have gone to Mongu and Kasane without her knowledge,” she said.“As a new Governor, it was the Councillors and the Chairperson of the Regional Council who were supposed to take me and introduce me to my counterparts in those countries, and that is exactly what they did. So, I do not understand why Minister Sankwasa has a problem with that. It did not start with me; all the Governors before me did the same,” she added.She stressed that she could not have travelled alone. “Who would have introduced me? The Councillors I found already in office are the ones who knew where to take me to meet my counterparts, who, by the way, received us very warmly in Mongu and Kasane. So, I do not understand why Minister Sankwasa considers the trip unauthorized. In fact, I do not need his permission to travel,” she said.“He should know his boundaries. He is not the only minister; others are doing their jobs according to their mandates without disturbing the peace,” Kabula added.On the issue of “mixed marriage,” she said: “When I came into office, I found my husband already serving as Chairperson of the Regional Council. I had no mandate to tell him to vacate his position simply because I am the Governor and he is my husband. No. He will remain in that position until his term ends in November. Where am I wrong?”Responding to Sankwasa’s directive, Zambezi Regional Council Chairperson Matengu Simushi questioned which law gives the minister such authority.“He mentioned the Regional Councils Act. Fine, because I checked it myself, and there is nothing in there. Nothing gives him the mandate to do what he’s claiming. You can’t just write directives like that without citing the specific section that gives you such power. What I know is that only a council resolution can authorize certain actions. Remember, this is the Regional Council we are talking about,” he said.“Those are in-house directives, just internal business, not based on any law. Remember, Regional Councillors are not appointed; they are elected. Nobody can remove a Councillor from office except through proper procedures,” Simushi said, adding that Sankwasa himself serves at the President’s pleasure.“Once removed, he would no longer have power over a Regional Council. Councillors are elected by the people, and the Regional Council does not report to any minister. That is why we employ a Chief Regional Officer, to implement and validate the decisions made by the Council. When we appoint a Chief Regional Officer, it’s through a formal process, including interviews. The powers lie with the Chairperson of the Regional Council and the Council itself, not with the Minister,” he said.nikanor@nmh-hub.com.na

Zambezi erupts as Sankwasa demands refunds for unauthorized trip

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-27

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Zambezi erupts as Sankwasa demands refunds for unauthorized trip

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-27

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