The United Democratic Front has accused minister James Sankwasa of defamation and political bias following his decision to freeze the Kunene Regional Council’s funding over leadership disputes.
The party says the minister of urban and rural development made defamatory and politically motivated remarks linking the party to the ongoing council dispute over acting chief regional officer George Kamseb.
UDF secretary general Daniel Tsaneb says the party has never (UDF) involved itself in the matter about the freezing of funds Sankwasa has allocated the council.
The funds were frozen following Kamseb’s alleged unlawful appointment.
“The matter is sub judice and currently before the courts, while the regional council has already appealed the ruling. We therefore question the minister’s utterances blaming the party in what is clearly a state matter relating to the council. This now appears to amount to a political witch hunt,” Tsaneb says.
He said this during a press conference on Wednesday in response to comments Sankwasa made during an interview on ‘Behind the Wheel’, a Namibia Press Agency programme which aired on YouTube on 1 May.
UDF spokesperson Mabasen Narib says Sankwasa during the interview claimed party councillors told him that “we are the UDF and we will do what we want”.
Narib describes the statement as false and defamatory.
Kamseb was suspended in 2016 over allegations related to undue interference in the tender process, the unauthorised expenditure of council funds, and the appointment of consultants without council approval.
He was reinstated by the council in 2021.
Former minister of urban and rural development Erastus Uutoni subsequently challenged the decision in the High Court.
The High Court ruled in favour of the minister, prompting the council to appeal the judgement to the Supreme Court.
Sankwasa blocked funding to the council in April over its refusal to remove Kamseb, whose appointment remains under legal challenge.
Kunene Regional Council chairperson Western Muharukua previously argued that once an appeal is filed, the enforcement of a High Court judgement is automatically suspended until the Supreme Court delivers a final ruling.
Tsaneb on Wednesday clarified that the UDF has never interfered in the matter and has not issued any verbal or written directive to its councillors regarding the dispute.
The party has now called on Sankwasa to stop making defamatory remarks against the UDF and instead focus on addressing mass housing challenges facing the country.
Narib says the party can not determine the full extent of the impact caused by the funding freeze yet, but says the council will struggle to function without its budget.
He further calls for the process to be fast-tracked to ensure the release of funds, warning that essential community services are now hanging in the balance.
In response to the defamatory claims, Sankwasa said: “There was nothing defamatory about my remarks. If the councillors are not in their own mini republic which is within the Republic of Namibia, they would respect the laws of Namibia.”
He said the regional council is currently arguing it appealed against the High Court decision, which was not ruled against the council but against Kamseb, who is illegally operating in council offices.
“No amount of press or media releases by the UDF will change my stand,” Sankwasa said.
The only reasonable thing for the Kunene Regional Council is to understand and apply the law as it currently prevails, he said.
Sankwasa said Kamseb should have appealed the High Court decision.
