Walvis Bay Local Authority Councillor Ronald Bramwell has opposed the council's resolution to spend about N$400,000 on sports games in Botswana.
The municipality has allocated the funds to cover the subsistence and travel costs for 60 employees to attend the Southern African Inter Municipal Games on Sunday.
Eleven years ago, the Walvis Bay Council agreed to approve staff's annual participation in the Southern African Inter Municipal (SAIMSA) Games.
The games bring together local authorities from Southern Africa with the aim of encouraging cross-border networking and improving bilateral relations.
This year, they take place in Gaborone, Botswana, and the Walvis Bay Municipality has budgeted about N$400,000 to cover the expenses of more than 60 workers.
Councillor Ronald Bramwell is against the allocation, saying the council was already advised last year by the Urban and Rural Development Minister to avoid uneconomical entertainment.
"It's not because I don't like sports, and it's not because I don't like to have good staff morale. It's because the municipality as we have it now is drifting along without a bit of purpose. The residents expect good service delivery at an affordable price as well as fast and efficient solutions to problems that may arise on a day-to-day basis. Don't forget about this trip to Gaborone for the games, which is at the busiest time of the municipality, and everyone goes on special leave."
"I don't see any need as the resolutions have already been made a few years ago, and at a later stage, at an advanced stage, people are about to travel. Now we sit here posting questions, and to me, it's irrelevant to sit here and look like I don't want to even mention it. So seriously, let's allow the people of the municipality to go do what they do best. It's a benchmark for Namibia also; we have our vice president at the SADC, who is our municipal employee," countered Councillor Albertina Nkoshi.
Despite the objection from Councillor Bramwell, the council agreed to allocate funds to send the employees to the games.
Bramwell says he will submit a motion next week that will focus on revoking the resolution taken eleven years ago to allow the current council to make its own decisions on such matters.