Sankwasa blasts LPM councillors on stop at Stampriet
Nikanor NangoloWindhoek
Urban and rural development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa has accused the Landless People’s Movement (LPM)-dominated Stampriet Village Council of partisan bias in recruitments and deliberately refusing to appoint a substantive council CEO so that councillors can continue meddling in administration.The minister, who met Stampriet council management at the Hardap Regional Council on Friday to discuss, amongst others, unfilled CEO and other senior positions, said the village is among several municipalities operating without permanent leadership.
“I was informed that municipalities deliberately avoid appointing substantive CEOs so that councils can interfere in administration. That is why they resist making permanent appointments,” he said.
“The recruitment processes you are running for various positions are not aligned with the law, and that is why you cannot fill the posts. This is the report currently in my office.”
Sankwasa also accused the council of prioritising politics over service delivery.
“You are putting politics first. You ask: Is this one an LPM member? If not, then you don’t appoint them. Appointments are not for the party. That is why from 2021, 2022, and now into 2025, you still have positions unfilled. Four years without filling critical posts shows something is seriously wrong with you as a council,” he said.
He added that the absence of permanent leadership had opened the door to mismanagement.
“You have not been audited all this time. No financial statements have been compiled, yet you have individuals appointed and paid as finance managers, HR managers and others while the actual work is not being executed properly,” the minister said, warning that internal auditors would soon be dispatched to Stampriet.
Sankwasa instructed the council to submit a full report on its recruitment processes, including adverts, shortlisting records, and details of those responsible for handling them.
A national problem
The leadership vacuum at Stampriet reflects a broader trend. Last year, the Namibia Association of Local Authority Officials (NALAO) warned about the governance risks posed by municipalities, town councils, and village councils operating without CEOs.
NALAO president Moses Matyayi said the matter had serious governance implications, prompting engagement between the association, the ministry, and affected local authorities.
“The intervention was meant to understand the challenges and their implications,” he said. “We highlighted many implications for legal understanding, and the ministry delegated the matter to the deputy minister to engage with us.”
Urban and rural development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa has accused the Landless People’s Movement (LPM)-dominated Stampriet Village Council of partisan bias in recruitments and deliberately refusing to appoint a substantive council CEO so that councillors can continue meddling in administration.The minister, who met Stampriet council management at the Hardap Regional Council on Friday to discuss, amongst others, unfilled CEO and other senior positions, said the village is among several municipalities operating without permanent leadership.
“I was informed that municipalities deliberately avoid appointing substantive CEOs so that councils can interfere in administration. That is why they resist making permanent appointments,” he said.
“The recruitment processes you are running for various positions are not aligned with the law, and that is why you cannot fill the posts. This is the report currently in my office.”
Sankwasa also accused the council of prioritising politics over service delivery.
“You are putting politics first. You ask: Is this one an LPM member? If not, then you don’t appoint them. Appointments are not for the party. That is why from 2021, 2022, and now into 2025, you still have positions unfilled. Four years without filling critical posts shows something is seriously wrong with you as a council,” he said.
He added that the absence of permanent leadership had opened the door to mismanagement.
“You have not been audited all this time. No financial statements have been compiled, yet you have individuals appointed and paid as finance managers, HR managers and others while the actual work is not being executed properly,” the minister said, warning that internal auditors would soon be dispatched to Stampriet.
Sankwasa instructed the council to submit a full report on its recruitment processes, including adverts, shortlisting records, and details of those responsible for handling them.
A national problem
The leadership vacuum at Stampriet reflects a broader trend. Last year, the Namibia Association of Local Authority Officials (NALAO) warned about the governance risks posed by municipalities, town councils, and village councils operating without CEOs.
NALAO president Moses Matyayi said the matter had serious governance implications, prompting engagement between the association, the ministry, and affected local authorities.
“The intervention was meant to understand the challenges and their implications,” he said. “We highlighted many implications for legal understanding, and the ministry delegated the matter to the deputy minister to engage with us.”
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