Section 92 (2) (a) of the Local Authority Act 23 of 1992, as amended, should vest its powers in the National Assembly, the National Council and the President.
Otherwise, Minister James Sankwasa could, in the short to medium term, seriously dilute the will of the people.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The recently appointed Minister of Urban and Local Government, Sankwasa, could completely misunderstand the Local Authority Act 23 of 1992, particularly section 92 (2) (a) as amended, believing it grants him unfettered powers to act as he pleases.
He was appointed on 21 March 2025 and formally wrote a letter to the Katima Mulilo Town Council leadership on 22 July 2025.
Within three weeks, on 15 August 2025, he dissolved it, apparently because they had not followed his directives.
He further told a local publication that if the City of Windhoek councillors had held office for a year, he would have fired them based on his unsubstantiated opinion after only six hours of meetings.
Suppose a minister can be appointed today and, the next day, hold the power based on assumptions to remove an elected council without sufficient due process as outlined in applicable laws.
Why are local authority elections necessary? Why should political parties and Namibians bother with campaigning and voting if an appointed official holds the ultimate power to dissolve an entire local council?
Namibia must seriously scrutinise these absolute powers before they undermine the original purpose of this Act, which is to decentralise power to allow citizens to decide their socio-economic development at local and regional levels.
The principle of who hires and fires should not be ignored.
If the one doing the firing does not appoint, then we risk creating an autocratic layer that will, over time, erode the sovereignty of the people, especially if used arbitrarily, as demonstrated when the minister threatened to fire Windhoek councillors without proper due process.
Minister Sankwasa may intend well, but his short-tempered, autocratic leadership style could threaten our democratic principles, which were established by our ancestors to ensure the sovereignty of the people rather than reliance on unelected individuals who are not accountable to the public.
Namibia already has the institutions and capacity to investigate and address crimes and maladministration, which should be thoroughly examined before any major judgments are made.
Anyone accused of misconduct should be held legally responsible so that social justice prevails.
If corruption is suspected, relevant entities, including the ACC and police, should pursue cases to ensure law enforcement acts without bias, as in past cases.
Moreover, political parties that have fielded questionable candidates at the local level should, under pressure, withdraw those individuals and replace them with candidates of sound character and integrity, ensuring they truly serve the community’s interests.
Poorly chosen candidates with questionable motives can harm those genuinely committed to serving residents. Local and Regional Authorities are crucial components of our democracy and should not be treated lightly. Persistent abuse of this power will ultimately undermine the meaning of decentralization, which was meant to empower citizens.
Section 92 (2) (a) of the Local Authorities Act 23 of 1992, as amended, urgently needs to be re-vested in the National Assembly, National Council, and an elected President to uphold the true democratic principles outlined in our constitution.
*Pendapala Hangala believes in the potential of Namibians to achieve great things, provided they are given the opportunity. He speaks in his personal capacity.