Shelleygan Petersen
Eight City of Windhoek councillors were blocked from attending the Southern African Inter Municipality Sports Association (SAIMA) games in Lesotho after minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa disapproved their travel.
The councillors had already departed when the message arrived, costing the municipality N$80 000 for the trip.
They were invited to the games in Maseru from 21 to 26 September 2025 under the Lesotho Local Authorities Sports Association.
Sankwasa sent a circular on Friday to all mayors, local authority councils, and chief executive officers.
It stated that requests to attend the SAIMA games were disapproved.
“Your requests are in general disapproved due to the huge financial implications that will be charged against the unapproved budgets for the 2025/2026 financial year, which will escalate your council’s operating expenditure beyond the available budget, eventually resulting in unauthorised expenditure,” he wrote.
He said while sports is important, it is “not a core business function”.
“And should therefore be financed through other means other than the approved budgets, which are meant to improve service delivery to the residents,” his letter read.
The Windhoek Observer understands that the councillors held a meeting last week to discuss the trip.
WhatsApp messages were sent to councillors Ivan Skrywer, Sade Gawanas, Joseph Uapingene, and Austin Kwenaani.
Swapo councillors Queen Kamati and Fransina Kahungu, along with Affirmative Repositioning’s Maitjituavi Kavetu and IPC’s Jeurgen Hecht, confirmed that they are not participating in the trip.
Affirmative Repositioning’s Ilse Keister-Elago also did not travel.
The councillors were expected to attend a public meeting with communities in the Moses //Garoeb constituency. That meeting went ahead without them.
Sankwasa further directed councils not to pay subsistence and travel allowances to participating teams.
“But rather finance costs related to accommodation and transport through contributions or other alternative means,” his instructions read.
His restriction did not apply to staff members.
Windhoek mayor Ndeshihafela Larandja said on Monday she had only seen the circular on social media.
“When I took this office, I tried to protect myself, this office, and my party. When I receive the letters, I have a register where you sign when the letter is received. I have only seen this circular on social media. My records are not showing any record that I received this letter,” she said.
She added she should have been the first person to receive it.
“It is the year of election and campaign, everyone is using anything at their disposal,” the mayor said.
City spokesperson Harold Akwenye confirmed the councillors had already left by the time the circular was received on 20 September.
“However, it is important to clarify that the administrative office of the City of Windhoek only received this communication on Friday, 20 September 2025, by which time the councillors had already departed on Thursday, 19 September 2025,” he said.
Akwenye added that there is no legal requirement for ministerial approval.
“The City did not request ministerial approval for this trip, as the current legal framework does not make provision for such a requirement. Instead, all councillor travel is governed through council resolutions, the availability of budget, and the city’s internal governance systems, ensuring transparency, accountability, and alignment with service delivery priorities,” he said.
Governance analyst Rui Tyitende criticised the councillors’ trip.
He said local authorities are bankrupt and owe Namwater and Nampower.
“I fail to fathom how attending a sports indaba will contribute to fixing the hundreds of potholes across the country and the stench of sewer that is rampant across Windhoek’s informal settlements,” he said.
He added that the event is a joyride to collect subsistence and travel allowances.
“The residents of Windhoek should keep this in mind when they go to the polls this November as to whether these candidates and parties really care about their constituents,” he said.
