Sankwasa is against decentralisation, says LPM’s Skrywer

Landless People’s Movement local authority councillor Ivan Skrywer has accused local and rural development minister James Sankwasa of being against decentralisation.

Skrywer, who represents the LPM on the Windhoek City Council, said this amid the ongoing Africa Day for Decentralisation and Local Government taking place at Gobabis in the Omaheke region on Friday.

During the past few months, Sankwasa has made some sweeping changes at various regional councils, including proposals to amend the Regional Councils Act to allow for power to be shared between regional councils and governors, in addition to his hands-on approach. Recently, the minister directed all local authority councils not to renew their contracts with the company RedForce Debt Management, in a move some councillors say undermines their right to make internal decisions based on the needs of their towns.

“How can he say councillors must be accountable to governors? “The decision for the decentralisation programme should lie in the hands of the Office of the Prime Minister and Office of the Precedency”.

Councillors are elected by their communities and Sankwasa’s decisions defeat the purpose of decentralisation,” Skrywer told The Namibian on Thursday.

The Africa Day for Decentalisation and Local Development is celebrated annually on 10 August across African Union member states. The day is aimed at recognising the importance of decentralisation and local government in strengthening democratic processes and improving the lives of African citizens.

This year’s theme is ‘Building Resilient Communities through Inclusive Decentralisation and Equitable Development’.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.