Sankwasa says Swartbooi will never be president

Landless People's Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi has accused urban and rural development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa of being a "tinpot dictator".Speaking to media in Windhoek yesterday, Swartbooi argued that Sankwasa is disconnected from the realities of ordinary people, and his focus should be on jobs, housing, and land delivery – not harassing local councils.According to Swartbooi, local and regional authorities are ultimately accountable to the people who elect them, not to a minister appointed by the president.“Tell me where the minister is the ultimate person to whom regional and local authorities must account,” Swartbooi challenged.He also accused Sankwasa of “selective amnesia”, citing the long-abandoned Masokotwani Development Centre in Katima Mulilo as an alleged example of the minister’s past failures.“There is nobody elected into a structure called central government. There is just a president elected as head of state. But even unelected people can be picked up from the street by the president, dusted off, washed, showered and then placed in the National Assembly,” Swartbooi charged.Scathing rebuttalSankwasa immediately hit back, accusing Swartbooi of desiring to be president.“But he will never get that. That one I can assure you, he will never become a president of this country," Sankwasa said in a scathing rebuttal in an interview with Namibian Sun yesterday.Sankwasa further accused Swartbooi of hypocrisy and deflecting blame.“Before he became deputy minister, Swartbooi was governor of the //Kharas region. What did he do to bring development there?” the minister asked. “When things went wrong under his leadership, he jumped ship and formed a political party.”He pointed to a “damning” audit report on the //Kharas Regional Council, now under LPM administration, which he claims has revealed high levels of financial mismanagement.“If he claims to be a good leader, can he explain what happened under his watch? This money was intended for development projects. But it was misused. I’m still going to hold them accountable for this. It’s my duty. Whether he likes it or not,” said Sankwasa.Withdraw the oathSankwasa also defended his oversight role, insisting that under the constitution, regional and local authorities are not independent entities free from scrutiny.“Namibia is a unitary state. All regional and local authorities took an oath to uphold the laws of the republic. If they refuse accountability, they must go and withdraw that oath,” the minister said. He added that Constitutional Articles 40 and 41 vest him with direct responsibility for the ministry’s performance, including budget allocation and oversight of local and regional authorities.Sankwasa argued that as the one who tables and defends their budgets in parliament, he is constitutionally obligated to ensure accountability.“The money used by councils comes from the budget I defend in parliament. How can anyone say I shouldn’t be involved?” he told Namibian Sun.'Not here for a salary'The minister added that he has given up a lucrative consulting career to serve voters in government.“I did not come here for a salary. If it were about money, I would’ve stayed with my company. I’ve lost about 70% of my income. I’ve consulted for Unicef and several ministries. I’m not a small boy like him.”Sankwasa appeared unfazed by Swartbooi’s prediction that he would not survive long in his current portfolio, with the LPM leader accusing the minister of being unequipped to handle a ministry of that magnitude.Swartbooi also drew parallels to former urban development minister Erastus Utoni, whom he described as an "unemployed former somebody"."I think when I look carefully from the history of how ministers have been in this ministry, Sankwasa in my assessment, will not even survive for 14, 18 months as a minister. He won't," Swartbooi said.Sankwasa responded, saying, “If his campaign is to remove Sankwasa, I’m willing to go home. But what I will never do is bend and do the wrong thing. Come hell or sunshine, that will never happen.”

Sankwasa says Swartbooi will never be president

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-27

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Sankwasa says Swartbooi will never be president

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-27

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