Some residents of Grootfontein are concerned the ongoing Swapo infighting at the town’s council is affecting the level of service delivery. Residents regularly bombard the municipality’s Facebook page with complaints and requests to improve roads, sanitation and make the town look cleaner. 

Part of the complaints is that council has not been able to hold meetings as members are failing to reach a quorum, while other councillors are deliberately absent without valid reasons. “We are sick and tired of these Swapo infightings within the council. Swapo must sort out its issues and put their house in order so that they deliver services to the residents who elected them into power,” complained a resident, who requested anonymity. 

“If you look at the roads and infrastructure, they are in a bad shape. There is not much development happening here because councillors are too busy fighting for their bread without taking into account the people’s interests and needs.” Despite the ongoing infighting within the party, town CEO Kisco Sinvula has vowed that no service delivery will be compromised under his watch. This comes days after unresolved internal squabbles in Grootfontein culminated in the suspensions of its newly sworn-in mayor and other district executive members over allegations of voting for the opposition to ascend to the chairpersonship of the town’s management committee. At the centre of the storm is Talitha Garises (66), who served as mayor for less than a week before she was suspended and recalled some two weeks ago by the Swapo district executive committee. 

Garises, who was sworn in as Grootfontein mayor on 17 February, faced suspension along with other party cadres for allegedly supporting members of the opposition for management committee positions. Without a mayor at the helm of council, Sinvula said the Local Authority Act still provides for the existence of governance architecture aimed at ensuring the proper management and administration of the council. 

“Council is currently functional as legally sworn-in on 17 February 2022, as my office has not been advised to the contrary in compliance with ministerial directives pertaining to the recalling of council members,” he noted. 

As such, the duties and functions of council and the management committee are fully outlined in the Local Authority Act to ensure that service delivery is not compromised at any given time.  “Compliance to existing legal statutes, policies and directives is pivotal and obligatory on me as an accounting officer, and that I shall not compromise on,” Sinvula emphasised.  

As part of its strategic plans, he said council has embarked on various capital projects, more especially the servicing of land for various land uses, inclusive of housing developments. Council embarked upon the development of 3 000 ultra-low-income plots through flexible land tenure, whose extensions require council approval.  Moreover, he highlighted various developmental projects set for this financial year such as the allocation of a 40-hectare piece of land for Welwitchia University, which is underway; the development of a logistical hub; urban agriculture for youth employment; and the construction of an open market for informal traders. 

–anakale@nepc.com.na