Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The City of Windhoek has confirmed that four forensic and audit investigations into alleged irregularities have been completed.
However, the reports remain under internal legal and administrative review and are not yet available to the public.
This confirmation follows questions sent by the Windhoek Observer last month and a letter dated 19 May from social justice activist Shaun Evert Gariseb.
The letter, addressed to the minister of urban and rural development, James Sankwasa, asked for intervention in long-standing service delivery and governance issues affecting residents.
“The investigation has been concluded, and the resulting reports were submitted to the Office of the chief executive officer. These reports are currently subject to formal internal review processes, including legal and administrative scrutiny, before any final decisions or disclosures can be made,” said city spokesperson Lydia Amutenya.
She added that the City recognises public interest in the reports but will not release them until internal processes are completed.
“Once this process is finalised and it is legally appropriate to do so, the City will communicate the outcomes and relevant actions to the public in a timely and transparent manner,” she said.
Residents have demanded the release of the reports for over two years.
The reports are believed to contain findings related to fraud, mismanagement, and financial misconduct in municipal billing and service systems.
From 2022 to 2024, residents staged demonstrations and submitted petitions demanding transparency, especially regarding the City’s contract with RedForce Debt Management and disconnections of services despite payments.
One complaint sent to the minister involved the estate of the late J. and J.S. Louw.
According to the complaint, N$20,000 was paid to both the City and RedForce in May 2025, yet electricity remained disconnected.
Efforts to resolve the issue revealed a breakdown in communication between the City’s electricity and debt management departments. Residents said accounts were not reconciled automatically if fines were outstanding.
They also called for better integration of fines into billing statements and for notifications to be sent to account holders in cases of tampering, which often go unnoticed until disconnection occurs.
Complainants have accused the City of violating Section 29 of the Electricity Act.
They said the municipality failed to prioritise service delivery and changed procedures without proper public communication.
Minister Sankwasa confirmed receiving the letter last month. Since then, he has not issued any response.
Questions sent to his office remain unanswered at the time of publication.
The City also did not respond to questions about the RedForce contract or internal communication protocols.
Gariseb and other community leaders said they have approached the presidency after failing to engage the City’s leadership.
They are calling for accountability from both local and national officials and are awaiting action.
The City has not indicated when the reports will be released or when the internal reviews will be finalised.
