By Martin Endjala

Copyright namibian

First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah’s personal assistant has declared his candidacy for the Windhoek City Council, pledging to prioritise service delivery, land access, and informal settlement formalisation.

Sam Inghamba appears on Swapo’s list of candidates contesting for the regional council and local authority elections slated for 26 November.

Inghamba yesterday confirmed that he is indeed Ndaitwah’s personal assistant.

He said there is no conflict of interest in his ambitions, citing that the Local Authorities Act of 1992 is clear in this regard.

“The Local Authorities Act states clearly that I meet the requirements to serve as a councillor in the City of Windhoek part-time and also help the party to implement its manifesto as a young person who has been in the party since I was a pioneer.

“I don’t think I am contravening the rules and regulations,” Inghamba said.

He clarified that his situation would not create a conflict of interest, citing that Swapo, which has elected president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah through its electoral congress, has deployed him to the City of Windhoek.

Inghamba said once elected, he would fight for the formalisation of informal settlements.He said the Moses //Garoëb constituency, where he has lived before, has no electricity, demarcation, sufficient recreational facilities, or water points.

Inghamba said he would consider ways for young people to acquire land, especially the working class, as he believes 88% of them should be able to do so.

He said he would raise a motion that seeks to address land and pricing so that policies can be amplified.

“The laws must be flexible to be poor friendly so that informal vendors and others can benefit.

He would further advocate the construction of markets where most customers are and infrastructure development.

Inghamba said he is driven by service delivery for all, citing that fights between political parties must be put aside and the community be served.His struggles and hardships are what motivated him to run as a councillor, he said.

Meanwhile, political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah says there’s no conflict of interest with Inghamba contesting in the elections as it is his democratic right to participate in politics.

“We are turning something simple into a bigger issue than it really is.

I hope if elected, he will serve based on the mandate given to him by the people, and that any concerns can be handled through existing systems,” he says.

In January this year, former secretary to the Cabinet George Simataa issued a circular saying those elected in the November 2024 elections serving in the public office are considered to have resigned from their positions on the date they were elected.

PROFILESAccording to Swapo’s local authority candidates list, Paulus Immanuel is a quality officer at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.

Gabriel Tjatindi works as a driver and messenger at Swapo’s regional office, and Nambata Angula is a development fund manager at the Social Security Commission.

Mathew Shoongo works as a training and administration officer in the Office of the President, while Martha Iikela is a teacher.

Both Elizabeth Hofni and Luis van der Merwe are small and medium enterprise business people.

Austin Kwenani is a logistics officer at the National Youth Service, Toini Ambambi is self-employed, Albertina Amutenya is an unemployed young person, and Uunona Sakaria is a design structure foreman.