Patience Makwele
Tensions at the Keetmanshoop municipality escalated on Wednesday after workers threatened to take their grievances against acting chief executive officer Desiree Boois to urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa if their demands are not addressed.
The warning came as employees who were represented by the Namibia Public Workers Union (NAPWU), handed over a petition calling for Boois’ removal and accusing the municipality’s acting administrative head of poor management, intimidation and financial mismanagement.
Workers say they have lost confidence in Boois’ leadership, alleging unilateral changes to employment conditions, delayed payments to service providers, favouritism and the misuse of municipal funds through the appointment of external consultants.
Presenting the petition, NAPWU representative Astrid Sauerwein said employees were frustrated by what they described as a deteriorating working environment and demanded urgent intervention.
The dispute took a political turn when workers warned they would seek intervention from the line minister should municipal leaders fail to act.
“We will bring the minister in and let the minister sort this matter out,” municipal employee Jackie Coleman said during the petition handover.
“We are being held hostage while people pursue their own interests. We will not allow ourselves to be used and we will not let things continue like this.”
The petition was received by chairperson of the municipality’s management committee, councillor Easter Isaak, who acknowledged workers’ concerns but declined to provide a timeframe for when the matter would be resolved.
Isaak said legal complications surrounding the court-ordered reconstitution of the municipality’s management committee prevented him from committing to a specific date.
“To give an actual date would create unrealistic expectations,” he said.
According to Isaak, the petition will be tabled at the first meeting of the newly constituted management committee once the legal process has been finalised.
The latest standoff highlights ongoing governance challenges at local authorities across the country, where disputes involving senior management and political leadership have increasingly spilled into the public domain.
Boois said she could not comment extensively on the allegations because the grievances had not yet formally reached her office.
“It would be premature to comment,” she said.
She maintained that the municipality follows established labour relations procedures and that grievances should be addressed through recognised internal channels involving both affected employees and their union representatives.
The confrontation comes amid growing pressure on local authorities to improve governance, service delivery and labour relations at a time when municipalities are grappling with financial constraints and increasing public expectations.
Workers insist they will continue pressing for intervention until their concerns are addressed.
