Minister James Sankwasa faces backlash over xenophobic remarks to journalist

Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa has been criticised for the xenophobic remarks he made against The Namibian’s Tracy Tafirenyika following an article the journalist wrote about his municipal bills.

Tafirenyika’s article appeared in The Namibian on 23 January, headlined ‘Minister Sankwasa owes NamWater N$174 000 amid councillor debt criticism’.

Sankwasa had recently urged councillors with unpaid bills to settle their accounts, a move that raised a double standards concern.

Following the article, Sankwasa on Friday told Desert FM he received a call from Tafirenyika “who happens to be a Zimbabwean” and questioned whether she has a work permit.

The minister also said Zimbabweans have not appreciated that Namibia has allowed them to stay here.

The urban and rural minister repeated these sentiments yesterday at Ondangwa in the Oshana region during the official opening of induction training for regional and local authority councillors, management cadre and chief executives.

In a clip by the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, Sankwasa says he does not know why his account became public and hinted at the fact that RedForce Debt Management made his information public.

In the same vein, he says Redforce is owned by a Zimbabwean and that the author of the article referencing his debt is also Zimbabwean.

“I looked at the article. . . Individual accounts are not for the public. But why did it become public? Because of RedForce. RedForce is owned by a Zimbabwean. The writer of the article, Tafirenyika, is a Zimbabwean. We have not appreciated that Namibia has allowed them to stay here,” he says.

Text messages to Sankwasa regarding the issue yesterday went unanswered.

NMT Foundation executive director Zoe Titus says Sankwasa naming a journalist on national television raises serious concern.

She says the disagreement with the reporting does not justify personal references or comments linked to nationality or belonging.

The executive director adds that publishing the fact of the minister’s Namibia Water Corporation debt is a legitimate public interest story.

“A Zimbabwean-born journalist lawfully living and working in Namibia, married to a Namibian, deserves equal protection. Public officials should answer scrutiny with facts and lawful processes. This approach turns public power on a single journalist, plays on origin, creates fear and discourages scrutiny of public issues,” she says.

Namibia Media Professionals Union (Nampu) secretary general Jemima Beukes condemns Sankwasa’s remarks, describing them as discriminatory and an attack on a journalist for carrying out their professional duties.

Nampu is calling on Sankwasa to retract his remarks and issue a public apology.

Beukes says such remarks risk promoting xenophobia and intimidation, particularly against foreign-born journalists who lawfully live and work in Namibia and contribute to the country’s democratic discourse.

“The nationality or origin of a journalist is irrelevant to the accuracy, legitimacy or public interest of their reporting,” she says.

Independent Patriots for Change spokesperson Imms Nashinge says: “This is terrible from a Cabinet minister. Sadly, his audience went on and clapped their hands. Why xenophobic attacks towards professionals doing their work?”

Meanwhile, the Editors Forum of Namibia has condemned Sankwasa’s remarks, adding that “xenophobic rhetoric has no place in a democratic society and should never be used to intimidate or discredit journalists for doing their work”.

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