Kaviveterue Virere
The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) has retaliated against Rural and Urban Development Minister James Sankwasa for his recent remarks that accuse opposition-led local authorities of failing to adequately address the needs of informal settlements.
The party’s top leadership held a press conference in Windhoek on Tuesday, accusing the minister of spreading false information, evading accountability from the government and distorting Namibia’s socioeconomic situation.
The LPM clarifications came after Sankwasa last week alleged that opposition-controlled municipalities, particularly the City of Windhoek, were failing in their mandate to control the spread of informal settlements.
LPM leader Bernadus Swartbooi labelled Sankwasa’s claims as “shallow and superficial”.
He argued that decades of systematic underdevelopment and unequal economic growth are to blame for informal settlements rather than poor municipal management.
“It is easy to reduce the lives of our people to reckless migration and irresponsibility, but that is unscientific and deeply misleading,” Swartbooi said.
“Informal settlements are the result of small towns collapsing, rural areas lacking employment possibilities and the absence of industry outside of a few urban centres. Individuals relocate where they can live,” he added.
“From southern Namibia to northern Namibia, from Omaheke to Kunene, the narrative is the same. Young people flee because their home is empty. That is not the City Council’s fault,” he continued.
He urged Sankwasa to present verifiable proof of alleged opposition failures rather than “distracting the nation with baseless accusations”.
LPM City of Windhoek councillor Ivan Skrywer said the minister’s statements were deliberately designed to tarnish the image of the opposition and mislead citizens ahead of this year elections.
“Sankwasa speaks as a desperate party candidate rather than as a government minister,” he stated.
His lies aim to undermine the City of Windhoek and divert attention away from decades of Swapo’s own shortcomings.
He pointed to what he described as tangible achievements under the current Windhoek coalition government, which includes the LPM.
Among these, Skrywer highlighted the settlement of longstanding debts with NamPower and NamWater, the securing of an unqualified audit opinion from the Auditor General and efforts to stabilise municipal finances.
“The City of Windhoek, which is run by Swapo, has been failing to do these things for decades,” Skrywer stated.
Sade Gawanas, a councillor for the LPM City of Windhoek, advised leaders to stay away from emotional outbursts and misinformation when dealing with delicate topics like housing and urban poverty.
“Namibia is at a turning point. Our people deserve honesty – not distortions. The remarks made by minister Sankwasa were full of political propaganda and mistakes. We cannot allow citizens to be misled in this way,” Gawanas stated.
Photo: Heather Erdmann