Sankwasa blames RedForce for leaking details of his NamWater debt

Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa has accused RedForce Debt Management of leaking information about his NamWater debt.

The Namibian reported last week that the minister, who has been urging councillors to settle their utility bills, owed NamWater about N$174 000 as of 30 November 2025. 

Speaking on Monday at the opening of the 2026 regional and local authorities induction training for leaders from the Oshana, Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions, Sankwasa said he intended to settle the debt.

“I will pay my account,” he confirmed. He added that although NamWater has previously stated that individual accounts are not made public, his account details allegedly became public because of a leak by RedForce.

“Every person must pay their account. Whether they write a hundred stories about Sankwasa, I will not stop calling for the settlement of accounts by councils. Accounts must be paid,” Sankwasa emphasised.

The minister said the debt relates to an account linked to his late mother’s property, which shares his surname. 

Sankwasa’s public remarks come against the backdrop of a protracted dispute with RedForce, a company contracted by several local authorities to collect unpaid municipal debts.

Agreements

Over the past year, the minister has repeatedly criticised the company’s methods, accusing it of causing economic and political challenges for citizens and residents wherever it operates. 

In August 2025, Sankwasa issued a sweeping directive ordering all municipalities and town councils not to renew contracts with RedForce and to refrain from entering into such agreements in future.

He argued that some contracts unfairly entitle the debt collector to high percentages of collected funds – arrangements he believes are detrimental to residents and local governance. 

However, RedForce fired back, taking legal action against Sankwasa. In October 2025, it filed papers at the Windhoek High Court seeking to have the directive reviewed and set aside, arguing that the minister's public comments and actions amounted to a smear campaign and an abuse of power.

RedForce claims some of Sankwasa’s statements, including that contracts with the company were unlawful or exploitative, are defamatory and harmful to its reputation. 

Court papers also revealed that accounts linked to Sankwasa were among those RedForce once sought to collect, including two Katima Mulilo municipal accounts that were repeatedly disconnected due to alleged non-payment, before being settled.

The company has claimed that this experience may have fuelled the minister’s hostility. 

Sankwasa has framed his stance as part of a broader push to improve revenue generation and accountability at local government level.

Duty

He has insisted that councils must be disciplined in collecting their own bills and that outsourcing debt collection to entities like RedForce should be done in accordance with the country's laws.

“They have forgotten the duty they voted for and have gone for money at the expense of service to the people,” Sankwasa said Monday during the workshop.

"I am not afraid, and I am ready for court because the provisions and the contracts signed by local authorities with RedForce are and were against the Act which controls the debt management," he claimed.

The minister added: "There is nothing wrong with the municipality making a contract with RedForce, or any debt collector for that matter, but what is wrong is to say we agree on five or 10% of all the money that you collected as a debt-collecting company. The contract is between the debt collector and the municipality, not the residents."

Sankwasa said local authorities should be firm, and that every ministry, government institution and major business must pay their water bills.

“This thing of local authorities running to disconnect the water of a pensioner who is owing N$500, leaving the business people who owe N$50 000 and N$100 000, is unwelcome,” he stressed.

He also stressed that large companies should be held accountable for their corporate social responsibility, ensuring they contribute to local fixes, including repairing potholes and keeping towns clean.