Okahandja deputy mayor challenges Sankwasa's RedForce directive

Okahandja deputy mayor Akser Aupindi has described urban development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa's directive to local authorities not to deal with RedForce Debt Management as “unlawful, baseless, and politically flawed.Sankwasa directed local authorities to cease dealing with RedForce in a letter dated August 4.However, Aupindi, in a letter dated 6 August, questioned the legality of Sankwasa's directive. “There is no law or legal authority within the existing legal framework that gives you the power to issue such a directive,” Aupindi wrote.The deputy mayor also demanded that the minister provide specific statutory grounds for the directive.“Failure to do so will compel us to consider this directive as unlawful, baseless and politically flawed to gain popularity and score points for your political home,” Aupindi stated.Aupindi accused the minister of overstepping his mandate and interfering in local governance.Directive is not legally justifiedAccording to Aupindi, the minister's directive is politically motivated and lacks legal standing. He maintained that decisions regarding RedForce or any third-party service providers must be made by elected municipal councils in line with procurement laws and local government regulations—not imposed by ministerial fiat. “Local authorities will not act under the rule of man, but under the rule of law,” he said, warning that municipalities may seek legal redress through the Association of Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN) if the directive is not legally justified.In a motion attached to his letter, Aupindi cited his earlier efforts to address RedForce’s conduct at the local level. In June 2023, he submitted a motion to the Okahandja Municipal Council calling for the cancellation of the agency’s contract, citing a lack of transparency, widespread public dissatisfaction, and unanswered questions surrounding the agreement.“I wrote a motion to council to cancel the contract of RedForce as per the standing rule (13)(1) of the principal acts, Act 23 of 1993 as amended, because I disagree with the manner in which RedForce conducts itself towards our residents. But let it be done by the law,” Aupindi said.In the 21 June 2023 motion addressed to the Chief Executive Officer and seen by Namibian Sun, Aupindi further said the Chairperson of the Management Committee made it very clear that he never signed, nor saw the contract between RedForce and the Okahandja Municipal Council.The RedForce controversy has gripped municipalities across Namibia, including Walvis Bay and Rundu, where public dissatisfaction with the agency's debt collection methods has grown. While Sankwasa’s directive may have been intended to rein in the agency’s operations, it now risks triggering a legal and political standoff.As of press time, Sankwasa had not responded to Aupindi’s letter or provided clarity on the legal basis for the directive.

Okahandja deputy mayor challenges Sankwasa's RedForce directive

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-08

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Okahandja deputy mayor challenges Sankwasa's RedForce directive

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-08

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