Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa says most local authority councillors are not educated and are being misadvised by Chief Executive Officers who are more academically inclined.

He made the remarks during an interview with the Namibia Press Agency’s Behind the Wheel YouTube programme.

Sankwasa said the lack of education among most local authority councillors is behind governance failures in local authorities, where officials rely on council resolutions that councillors cannot explain.

He said administrative staff with degrees and diplomas influence councillors and shape decisions, which are later recorded as formal resolutions.

Sankwasa also said local authorities have not been audited since 2015, with most receiving adverse opinions or no audits.

He added that the government continues to allocate funds to these authorities despite weak accountability, while state finance rules require reporting on the use of public money.

He questioned the lack of visible development in communities despite continued funding over several years.

The minister also took issue with land allocation, saying investors receive land faster than residents who have been on waiting lists for years.

He explained that land is often allocated to investors at low prices, while local applicants remain without access.

Emil Xamro Seibeb
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