The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, has warned local authorities that fail to submit audited financial statements, collect outstanding revenue, and improve service delivery that they should not expect government bailouts or funds.

Addressing the annual congress of the Association of Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN), Sankwasa issued a series of cautions to councils, saying continued poor service delivery, weak financial management, and failure to implement government directives are undermining public confidence in local authorities.

He said many councils are regularly criticized for deteriorating roads, uncollected refuse, overgrown public spaces, housing shortages, and inadequate service delivery.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by Erongo Governor Nathalia |Goagoses, he said that while local authorities often cite a lack of funds, many have failed to collect revenue owed by residents, businesses, and government institutions.

He instructed local authorities to disconnect water, electricity, and other municipal services to institutions and businesses with outstanding debts, saying councils cannot continue to seek financial assistance while failing to recover revenue legally due to them.