EDITORIAL: Sankwasa’s steady hand brings back sanity

Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa continues to impress with his unapologetic stance on restoring legality and integrity in Namibia’s local authorities - many of which have become breeding grounds for lawlessness and personal enrichment.His reported dismissal of John Ndeutepo, the former mayor of Omuthiya who relocated to Windhoek to take up a full-time job as CEO of Nammic Financial Services yet clung to his mayoral post, is a move long overdue and grounded in the letter and spirit of the law.In a 2021 legal opinion, Attorney General Festus Mbandeka cited Section 13(1)(h) of the Local Authorities Act of 1992, which clearly states: “A member of a local authority council shall vacate his or her office if he or she ceases to reside or only temporarily resides within the local authority area after having been elected as member of such local authority council.”This is not open to creative interpretation. And even if the law had not spelled it out so clearly, it would still be an ethical absurdity for someone to lead a town they no longer live in. The excuse that Ndeutepo was attending council meetings virtually is laughable. Leadership is not a Zoom affair.You cannot identify potholes, inspect illegal dumping sites or respond to community concerns through a laptop from 600km away. A mayor is expected to be present - physically, emotionally, and administratively - in the very community they serve. The open-door policy means nothing if the door is in Windhoek and the people are in Omuthiya.Sankwasa’s predecessor, Erastus Uutoni, tiptoed on this matter despite the law being as clear as a cloudless sky. With Sankwasa now in charge, there’s finally hope that public office will return to serving the people - not serving personal convenience.

EDITORIAL: Sankwasa’s steady hand brings back sanity

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-23

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EDITORIAL: Sankwasa’s steady hand brings back sanity

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-23

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