Allexer Namundjembo
Opposition councillors in the Outapi Town Council say they were excluded from a meeting held on Tuesday in Windhoek between council representatives and the management of the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.
The councillor said the meeting was with the minister of urban and rural development, James Sankwasa, along with deputy minister Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele.
The meeting also included the ministry’s executive directors, Wilhelmine Shivute and Petrus Sikongo Sindimba.
According to the council’s official Facebook page, a delegation led by Outapi mayor Victorina Neingo attended the engagement.
The delegation included councillor Gerson Dumeni, chairperson of the management committee, chief executive officer Mateus Ananias, finance manager Abraham Shikesho; and public relations officer Jin Haidula.
The council described the meeting as an opportunity to present its developmental projects, achievements, challenges, and future infrastructure plans.
“The engagement reaffirmed the strong partnership between the Council and the Ministry, laying a solid foundation for collaborative solutions that will advance infrastructure development, strengthen service delivery, foster sustainable urban growth, and ultimately enhance the quality of life for residents,” the council stated.
However, opposition councillors said they were neither informed about nor invited to the meeting.
Affirmative Repositioning councillor Petrus Shiweva told the Windhoek Observer that only Swapo councillors and the CEO met beforehand to approve the trip to Windhoek.
He said the opposition was fully excluded from this process.
“We were not aware of nor invited to the meeting. The councillors travelled to Windhoek without our knowledge,” Shiweva said. He added that the opposition councillors only learnt about the engagement after it had already taken place.
On Wednesday, the Windhoek Observer attempted to verify the delegation’s travel with Neingo.
When contacted, she said she was on the road and unable to speak. “Call me back in 20 minutes; I am travelling,” she said.
Attempts to reach her again were unsuccessful, and she did not respond to questions sent via WhatsApp, despite the messages showing as received.
The incident has raised concerns about transparency and inclusivity within the Outapi Town Council.
Opposition members argue that meetings involving national leaders and discussions about key development matters should include all elected representatives to ensure accountability and equal participation in decision-making.
