Defiant Ndeutepo slams Sankwasa as a disappointing ‘wannabe celebrity'

Omuthiya councillor Johannes Ndeutepo did not mince his words this weekend when he described urban and rural development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa as a leader focused on celebrity and accusing him of making public statements without prior consultations.Ndeutepo, in an interview with Namibian Sun yesterday, labelled Sankwasa a “disappointment” and said he hoped President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah rescinds the minister's appointment.He made the remarks after being asked why he continues to cling to his Omuthiya councillor position, despite Sankwasa directing the council to remove him.Sankwasa’s decision, made during a trip to Omuthiya about a month ago, was based on the fact that Ndeutepo, who has been employed full-time in Windhoek since last year, remained a councillor despite this being in violation of the Local Authorities Act.Ndeutepo is reportedly in breach of Section 13(1)(h) of the Act, which mandates councillors reside in the area where they were elected.The legislation stipulates that failure to do so necessitates a councillor to vacate their position.However, Ndeutepo remains defiant, saying that he will not comply with Sankwasa’s directive.“I am still a councillor at Omuthiya. Why should I do that [leave]?" he told Namibian Sun on Sunday."I don’t entertain illegal things. That's just for show, maybe the minister wants to be a celebrity,” Ndeutepo remarked.He added: “The minister is a disappointment. He is in charge of a very big ministry but he goes out there and makes public statements without having made consultations. For a leader, he is such a disappointment, the president should change that appointment.”Awaiting approval When contacted for comment yesterday, Omuthiya mayor Beata Nashongo told Namibian Sun the council held a special ordinary council meeting on 3 July to discuss the Ndeutepo matter.Nashongo said that the council had decided to make recommendations on the issue and await approval from the line ministry."Ndeutepo was present in the meeting and was allowed to state his case, thereafter, he excused himself," she confirmed. "We, the remaining councillors, made a decision and recommended it to the minister for approval. That's where we are on this issue,” Nashongo said.Misplaced prioritiesLast week, Namibian Sun quoted Action Democratic Movement (ADM) vice president Vinsent Kanyetu accusing Sankwasa of being a leader who is more focused on administrative work at local authorities rather than delivering on the ministry's core mandate.Ndeutepo echoed this stance yesterday, saying a number of pressing issues are affecting local authorities, particularly with regional council and local authority elections on the horizon.“It is so disappointing to hear someone go out there and accuse councillors of enriching themselves even though it is known that local authorities don’t have money,” Ndeutepo said.“He says councillors are enriching themselves through S&T, but what about him? When he travels, does he not get S&T, and does that mean he is also enriching himself?" he asked. He also claimed that the Association of Local Authorities Namibia (ALAN) has written to the minister about issues affecting local authorities, but the minister has not yet responded."We are headed to the elections, and the issues need to be addressed now and not when the elected councillors are in office."Last year, Namibian Sun reported that Ndeutepo publicly challenged Sankwasa’s predecessor, Erastus Uutoni, to try to remove him from office.kenya@nmh-hub.com.na

Defiant Ndeutepo slams Sankwasa as a disappointing ‘wannabe celebrity'

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-07

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Defiant Ndeutepo slams Sankwasa as a disappointing ‘wannabe celebrity'

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-07

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