I did better than suspended councillors – Kantema

KENYA KAMBOWERUNDU Rundu town council caretaker Sebastian Kantema says he has, within a month, achieved more than suspended councillors did in years.Former urban and rural development minister Peya Mushelenga in March appointed Kantema as the minister's representative after six councillors were placed on suspension pertaining to poor governance and service delivery. Kantema cited that he was able to see the council acquire road worthy certificates for council vehicles that were parked for more than two years, something he said the previous leadership was challenged with. He added that he was able to see to it that the toilets at the Rundu Open Market are functioning after they were blocked for a number of years. He also said since the establishment of the Rundu suburb committee in 2016, the first meeting took place yesterday. 'Cheap politics'Kantema was responding to concerns raised by those, including All Peoples Party (APP) secretary-general Vincent Kanyetu, who opposed his appointment.Some argued that because Kantema is the minister's representative, he is more likely to serve the interest of the line ministry than the concerns raised by the electorate, something the veteran administrator said is “cheap politics”.“What I am doing here in just one month is better than what they were doing, which was to confuse the town,” Kantema said.“I am not here for cheap politics and I don't aspire to get any pleasure from this. I am not a job seeker,” he stressed. Election effectWith local government elections slated for November, many have questioned how campaigning would play out at Rundu as councillors have been suspensed and it is still unclear when they will resume work. When contacted for comment yesterday, urban and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni told Namibian Sun the matter is being dealt with by their legal representatives following the legal steps taken by the suspended councillors.Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah however said what is happening at Rundu has placed the political opposition in a difficult situation. He argued that if opposition parties want to remain relevant, they should start with the groundwork.

I did better than suspended councillors – Kantema

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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I did better than suspended councillors – Kantema

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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