Editorial: The governance gap we can no longer ignore
Ministers and other senior state officials bear a dual responsibility: not only must they uphold the laws of the land, but they also ensure those under their oversight do the same.
Yet, time and again, we witness a troubling pattern of indifference. When violations occur within their domains, these leaders often resort to nonchalant shoulder-shrugging, leaving citizens to wonder where accountability truly lies.
A glaring example of this governance laxity can be found in the ongoing situations in Ongwediva and Omuthiya. Here, local authority councillors blatantly defy the law, clinging to their positions despite no longer residing in their respective jurisdictions due to full-time employment elsewhere.
Take, for instance, Ongwediva’s management committee chairperson, Dr. Fabiam George, who remains in office while working full-time in Okakarara, a staggering 560 kilometers away. Similarly, Omuthiya’s mayor, Johannes Ndeutepo, continues to hold his mayoral seat while employed full-time in Windhoek—600 kilometers from the town he’s meant to serve.
Now, imagine the outrage if Windhoek’s mayor, Queen Kamati, were to take up a full-time job in Katima Mulilo while stubbornly retaining her position.
The law on this matter is unequivocal. Attorney General Festus Mbandeka previously clarified: “If a member of a local authority ceases to reside, or only temporarily resides, within the local authority area they were elected to serve, such a member shall vacate their office pursuant to Section 13(1)(h) of the Local Authorities Act.”
What’s even more disheartening is the apparent indifference of Urban and Rural Development Minister Erastus Uutoni, under whose watch this ongoing defiance unfolds. His passive approach to such blatant violations is a betrayal of the residents of Ongwediva and Omuthiya, who deserve better governance and accountability.
Yet, time and again, we witness a troubling pattern of indifference. When violations occur within their domains, these leaders often resort to nonchalant shoulder-shrugging, leaving citizens to wonder where accountability truly lies.
A glaring example of this governance laxity can be found in the ongoing situations in Ongwediva and Omuthiya. Here, local authority councillors blatantly defy the law, clinging to their positions despite no longer residing in their respective jurisdictions due to full-time employment elsewhere.
Take, for instance, Ongwediva’s management committee chairperson, Dr. Fabiam George, who remains in office while working full-time in Okakarara, a staggering 560 kilometers away. Similarly, Omuthiya’s mayor, Johannes Ndeutepo, continues to hold his mayoral seat while employed full-time in Windhoek—600 kilometers from the town he’s meant to serve.
Now, imagine the outrage if Windhoek’s mayor, Queen Kamati, were to take up a full-time job in Katima Mulilo while stubbornly retaining her position.
The law on this matter is unequivocal. Attorney General Festus Mbandeka previously clarified: “If a member of a local authority ceases to reside, or only temporarily resides, within the local authority area they were elected to serve, such a member shall vacate their office pursuant to Section 13(1)(h) of the Local Authorities Act.”
What’s even more disheartening is the apparent indifference of Urban and Rural Development Minister Erastus Uutoni, under whose watch this ongoing defiance unfolds. His passive approach to such blatant violations is a betrayal of the residents of Ongwediva and Omuthiya, who deserve better governance and accountability.
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