Sankwasa moves to write off municipal debt for pensioners and persons with disabilities 

Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, has directed local authorities nationally to submit outstanding municipal accounts of pensioners and persons living with disabilities for debt write-off.

He made the announcement on Monday in Rundu while addressing a local authorities’ induction workshop, saying the government can no longer allow vulnerable citizens to remain burdened by mounting municipal debt.

“I am giving this clear message — all municipal accounts of our pensioners and our citizens who are physically challenged must be submitted to the office of the minister before the end of March 2026 for possible write-off,” Sankwasa said.

Sankwasa explained that many of the outstanding debts of pensioners and persons with disabilities originated during COVID-19, when government instructed local authorities not to suspend water and other basic services.

“During that time, water was free and services were not suspended. As a result, many accounts ballooned between 2021 and 2022,” he said.

According to the minister, when normal billing resumed, the accumulated debts had already grown beyond the financial capacity of many affected households.

“These are the accounts that we need to write off because they are burdening our people. We cannot keep our pensioners with a yoke around their necks,” he added.

Sankwasa further clarified that only the minister has the legal authority to approve the writing-off of municipal debt, cautioning political parties and the country’s local authorities against using the matter for political gain.

He instructed local authorities to conduct a detailed age analysis of the affected accounts, particularly focusing on debts accumulated between 2021 and 2022, which he described as an abnormal billing period.

“I want to see how many accounts were accumulated during those two years, because after that the situation normalised,” Sankwasa said.

The minister said the directive reflects government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable groups and promoting social justice.

“We are a caring government for our people,” he stated.

 

During the same address, Sankwasa raised concern over the continued mushrooming of informal settlements, saying the problem stems largely from the failure of local authorities to identify and allocate land proactively.

He urged councils to demarcate land and implement the Flexible Land Tenure System, which would allow pensioners and those living with disabilities to access land legally and use allocation letters to improve their living conditions.