Katima Mulilo — An audit has revealed details of corruption, favoritism, and mismanagement at the Katima Mulilo Town Council. 

The audit, whose results were shared with the community by Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa, was conducted after councilors were dismissed earlier this year.

Sankwasa officially dissolved the council in a notice published in the Government Gazette on 15 August 2025. Citing Section 92(2) of the Local Authorities Act of 1992, he declared that all council members were removed from office, with their powers and functions now vested in him.

The move comes after weeks of escalating tension between the ministry and the council. The minister alleged governance failures, illegal land-for-goods transactions, ignored directives and unresolved labour disputes.

Addressing residents at a community meeting on Tuesday, Sankwasa said the audit found that no Chinese-owned business in Katima Mulilo had ever paid for water or electricity services — a situation he described as “completely unacceptable and unsustainable.”

“One councilor owes the town council about N$50 000, another owes N$10 000, and another N$80 000 yet their water was never cut. But when residents don’t pay, their water is cut by RedForce,” Sankwasa told the gathering. “Now you want to tell me as a minister I should relax and not fire these councilors?” he questioned.

The minister also revealed irregularities in the renovation of the Katima Mulilo Town Council guesthouse, which initially had a tender valued at N$1 million.

“Although the tender was awarded to a contractor who quoted N$1 million, the final amount paid after completion of the renovations was N$2.8 million,” Sankwasa said. “That’s nearly triple the original cost,” he added.

The report further revealed that the debt collection company RedForce, which has been disconnecting residents’ water and electricity, had no formal contract with the town council.

“Katima Mulilo Town Council never had a contract with RedForce,” Sankwasa stated. “Yet they were allowed to operate, collect payments, and disconnect residents. How do you explain that?” he asked.

He questioned why some residents were blaming the ruling Swapo Party for the chaos, pointing out that the dismissed council was composed of members from multiple political parties, including Swapo, IPC, NDP, and PDM.

“When things go wrong, let’s not blame Swapo but ourselves for not voting right,” he said.

Land allocation favors foreigners

Sankwasa also highlighted unfair land allocation practices, saying plots were sold to Chinese nationals at N$200 000 to N$300 000 less than what local businesspeople were charged.

“A local businessman paid N$800 000 for a plot of the same size,” he said. “This is unfair and it must stop,” he added.

The minister further warned against foreigners exploiting local women to obtain land through marriage.

“We have seen cases where foreigners marry Namibian women just to get land, and once they get it, they kick these women out,” Sankwasa said. “We must protect our land and ourselves,” he added.

Government investment and development plans

Sankwasa announced that the government has allocated N$100 million for water, electricity, sewer, and sanitation projects in Nova, Makaravan, and other settlements.

“This N$100 million is just the beginning,” he said. “By Friday, a contractor will be appointed to carry out the work.”

He assured residents that those living in areas earmarked for development would not be evicted but relocated to other plots.

The minister urged incoming councilors to prioritise integrity and service delivery.

“We want a council that is relevant and corruption-free,” he said. “People sit in the sun and rain to vote because they want service delivery. If you mess up, you’ll have yourself to blame,” he added.

Sankwasa also announced another “cash-for-work” clean-up campaign, where participants will receive N$10 vouchers, following a similar campaign last month that offered N$5 vouchers.

He encouraged residents to make informed choices in the upcoming elections.

“On November 27, make the right choice. Even if you don’t personally like the Swapo candidates, vote for the Swapo party because we need to correct things the right way,” Sankwasa urged. -anakale@nepc.com.na