Renthia Kaimbi
The minister of urban and rural development, James Sankwasa, has called an urgent meeting with all Erongo regional councillors this Friday.
The meeting will involve all regional councillors, chief regional officer Mupenzeni Ntelamo, and regional heads of the three political parties represented in the council.
Sankwasa raised concern in a formal letter to Erongo governor Natalia Goagoses, warning that the council’s inaction is undermining accountability.
“The inactivity of the regional council to take corrective measures therefore violates the code of conduct governing the expected good conduct of regional councillors,” the letter states.
Sankwasa linked the council’s defiance of a court order and the corruption scandal, saying both reflect a disregard for legal and ethical standards.
The directive for an urgent meeting follows the arrest of Erongo Regional Council management committee chairperson and Walvis Bay rural constituency councillor, Florian Donatus, on charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering.
Donatus was arrested on 22 September at a roadblock in Swakopmund and later appeared in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court, where he was granted bail of N$50 000.
His case was postponed to 29 October.
Police reports allege Donatus misused N$116 000 from the council’s credit facility. As part of his bail conditions, he was ordered to surrender all travel documents and to avoid interfering with investigations or witnesses.
Donatus, a member of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), had already faced internal disciplinary measures before his arrest.
The party had also suspended him from its activities.
The party’s national general secretary, Christine !Aochamus, had barred him from representing IPC in the Erongo Regional Council over “alleged maladministration and corrupt conduct.”
Despite this, Donatus still has access to the vehicle assigned to the council chairperson.
