Legendary Jamaican reggae superstar Bob Marley once sang: “Who feels it knows it.”
It’s a line that conveys a simple truth: We understand things better when we experience them ourselves.
This mantra is important when we think about local government.
For town councils to work well, elected leaders need to be close to the people they represent. They need to engage with their constituents.
They need to understand their struggles – from water cuts and bad roads to poor healthcare and failing schools.
In essence, they should feel the impact of their decisions where it matters most.
That’s why urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa did the right thing by taking a stand against Swapo councillor Johannes Ndeutepo from Omuthiya opting to live in Windhoek.
For years, councillors have openly flouted the law by living outside the constituencies they were elected to represent.
While we commend Sankwasa for taking action at Omuthiya, his efforts risk being dismissed as public relations if he fails to address the broader issue of councillors living beyond the boundaries of their constituencies.
Three years ago, Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani revealed that more than 30 councillors were living outside the constituencies they were elected to serve.
Why not start there? Why not hold all of them to account?
Currently, it seems Sankwasa is on a populist road show, one that hints at being akin to a 21st-century Spanish Inquisition: Singling out officials for public castigation while structural rot goes untouched.
The public should be wary of this style of leadership.
It may be entertaining in terms of TV politics, but often comes at a price: Expensive litigation, with public statements later used in court as evidence of unfair processes or predetermined outcomes.
In the end, this approach risks becoming just another missed opportunity to meaningfully address the real problems plaguing urban and rural development.
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