The Katima Mulilo Town Council has officially been handed back to its elected leadership after several months under ministerial administration. The council was dissolved in August by the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, leading to the appointment of an administrator to oversee its affairs.

The handover was conducted by the minister's representative, Marina Kandumbu, who served as the council's administrator during this period.

"It is in this spirit of the constitutional order and democratic continuity that I hereby formally hand over the administration and governance oversight of the Katima Mulilo town council to your esteemed office, and through you to the mayor, to the deputy mayor, to the management committee and to the entire council as duly constituted in terms of the act."

Sankwasa said an auditor's report conducted during the period of ministerial administration revealed elements of criminal misconduct.

"Some of the recommendations and some of the discoveries of the internal auditors boil down to criminality, not only administrative. And therefore we are going to pursue administrative actions on those that were responsible. We are still going to pursue the criminal part of this exercise."

He added that during the period his office was administering the council, tenders for road infrastructure, sewerage and water sanitation were awarded and that work is currently ongoing.

Sankwasa cautioned the newly elected councillors to deliver quality services to residents, warning that failure to do so could lead to a vote of no confidence.

"Our Namibian people are still not properly informed that they live for five years complaining of poor service delivery without using their avenue of vote of no confidence in a local authority, in a given regional council, because these are parameters that are there. When they voted for you, it's because they had confidence in you, when that confidence is betrayed, then a vote of no confidence must come in."