Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) spokesperson Imms Nashinge said bureaucratic obstacles and centralised governance continue to undermine the party’s ability to implement much-needed projects. In an exclusive interview with New Era on Friday, he shed light on the challenges faced by the party in local authorities, where it holds significant influence.

While the IPC has gained a foothold in several municipalities across Namibia, he emphasised that centralised governance structures – particularly the fact that local authority budgets are approved by the urban and rural development minister – have hindered progress due to underfunding.

“Many people think that just because the IPC has seats in various local authorities, these municipalities operate independently from the central government. But that’s not the case,” he said. He stated that despite their political dominance in some regions, all local authorities still fall under the custodianship of the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD), which is led by minister Erastus Uutoni, a Swapo member.

“Local authorities are not little islands on their own. They are still part of the Republic of
Namibia, and are bound by the laws and regulations set by the ministry,” Nashinge said.

He added that any substantial decision made by local councils such as budgets, land allocations or urban developments must ultimately be approved by the ministry.

This creates significant delays, sometimes for months or even years, which in turn hamper progress. Efforts to obtain comment from Uutoni yesterday hit a brick wall, as he was uncreachable on his phone. 

Nashinge gave the example of a project in Walvis Bay, where the IPC-led local authority secured substantial investments.

“We got an investment for about N$2 billion to N$3 billion for housing projects and a new golf course development,” he revealed.

Frustration 

The plans had gone through the necessary technical assessments, and were ready to move forward. However, this project was delayed for an entire year.

“One year might seem insignificant to some – but in business, one year can make or break a project,” the spokesman added. 

“That delay messed up planning, and caused unnecessary setbacks for everyone involved,” Nashinge stated.

His frustrations do not end with the Walvis Bay project.  He said the Local Authorities Act, under which municipalities operate, is archaic and restrictive.

“The law is not progressive. It’s slow, and it doesn’t allow for the flexibility that’s needed in today’s world,” he observed. 

“Our councillors push hard to break through this bureaucratic nonsense, but their hands are tied by processes that waste time and stifle development,” he said.

Another sore point for Nashinge is the financial dependency of local authorities on the central government.  The vast majority of funds which municipalities use come directly from the MURD in the form of subsidies. 

This reliance on central government funding weakens the ability of local councils to operate independently, or respond swiftly to the needs of their communities.

He then accused the ministry of playing political games by favouring Swapo-led municipalities, while putting roadblocks in the way of opposition-controlled councils.

He cited the example of the Karasburg Town Council, where opposition councillors were removed by the ministry in a recent decision which Nashinge characterised as politically-motivated.

“The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) just won a court case in Karasburg, where councillors were unlawfully removed. The minister went there himself to deal with the situation. But why didn’t he intervene in other towns like Rundu, where there were similar issues under Swapo leadership?” he questioned.

City of Windhoek 

When asked about the City of Windhoek, where opposition parties removed Swapo from power in 2020, Nashinge was candid about the fractured nature of opposition cooperation in the council. “It’s no secret that the opposition in Windhoek is divided on many issues. 

It’s often been a challenge to keep unity,” he said, acknowledging the difficulty in maintaining cohesion, particularly when it comes to long-term planning and major decision-making. 

Asked why the opposition has struggled to unite beyond removing their common foe, Swapo, Nashinge retorted: “Yes, we did manage to unseat Swapo in 2020, which was a significant achievement. But, as you’ve rightly pointed out, unity has been challenging in the City of Windhoek. It’s a difficult environment. You have different parties with different ideologies and approaches, all trying to govern in a way that they believe is best for the city. But it’s not always easy to find common ground, especially when personal political ambitions start to get in the
way.”

The IPC’s influence, while strong, is often diluted by internal political struggles within
the opposition ranks.“It’s a challenge that we have to confront head-on,” Nashinge
admitted. 

“It’s not about one party having all the power. It’s about finding consensus, and
delivering for the people of Windhoek. That has been the difficult part,” he said.

He went on to stress that while the IPC is committed to working for the city’s development, the ongoing disputes between opposition parties have hindered effective governance. 

“We have seen where parties within the opposition alliance clash over decisions, which has led to deadlock on important issues. 

It’s not a secret that there have been disagreements over who should hold key positions – and at times, that has led to policy gridlock,” he said.

Despite these challenges, he remains optimistic about the future of opposition governance in Windhoek. 

He pointed to the IPC’s track record of achieving results in other municipalities, like Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, as evidence that opposition parties can govern effectively when they work together.

“In some areas, the IPC has managed to collaborate successfully with other opposition parties to push forward development initiatives. The key is putting people first, and not allowing personal or party interests to derail the agenda,” he continued.

He furthermore called on the Namibian government to rethink its approach to local governance. 

“It’s time for Namibia to have a serious conversation about decentralisation. If we want our towns and cities to thrive, we need to empower local authorities to make decisions without having to wait for ministerial approval for every little thing,” he stressed.

Budget

In July, New Era reported that four local authorities in the Kunene region were operating without a budget from the urban and rural development ministry for the current financial year. At the time, the Kunene Regional Council’s budget for the current financial year was yet to be released, officials said.

 The affected local authorities were Opuwo, Outjo, Kamanjab and Khorixas, while constituencies included Epupa, Opuwo Urban, Opuwo Rural, Sesfontein, Kamanjab, Khorixas and Outjo.  The late approval and release of the budget prevents government entities from initiating procurement processes at the start of the financial year, based on the approved
budget.

They blamed this situation for the snail’s pace service delivery.

For the current financial year, the MURD received N$1.6 billion, of which N$120 million is earmarked for rural development.

 The funds are meant to upgrade and construct sewerage ponds, water infrastructure, electricity supply and road networks in municipalities, towns, villages and settlements.

The funds are also meant to service land.

Most of the councils revealed to New Era that they are currently faced with several challenges, such as delays in project planning and procurement processes. 

In some towns, projects have completely been abandoned. 

-ljason@nepc.com.na