Armas Amukoto

Independent Patriots for Change shadow minister who has proposed renaming Henties Bay after founding president Sam Nujoma and criticised traditional authorities' land allocation practices.

2026-01-202026-09-06

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

March 2026
4 MarThe Namibian
Armas Amukoto is in favour of the directive that private investors should develop their own land
Source
“Independent Patriots for Change shadow minister of urban and rural development Armas Amukoto is in favour of the directive, saying private investors should develop their own land.”
Sankwasa bans private developers from state-serviced land to boost affordable housing
February 2026
25 FebThe Namibian
Armas Amukoto says it is strange when commenting negatively about Namibian businesses but not when Game allegedly got a similar plot
Source
“Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) shadow minister of urban and rural development Armas Amukoto says: "It's strange when we are commenting negatively about Namibian businesses, but we did not say anything when the South African-owned company 'Game' allegedly got a similar plot at Oshakati at a price of one dollar per square metre."”
‘Chicco’ Shapumba bags five Oshakati plots for N$406 000 amid fairness concerns
January 2026
20 JanThe Namibian
Armas Amukoto says traditional authorities must take full responsibility for failures in land allocation system including double allocations, biased decision-making, corruption, and favouritism
Source
“"Traditional authorities must take full responsibility and accountability for the failures within the land allocation system. These failures include double allocations, biased decision-making, corruption, and favouritism," he says.”
IPC slams traditional leaders for land allocation mess

Politics

Rundu criticises N$100 300 mayor trip to Barcelona conference

The News

Rundu residents and leaders have opposed a proposed N$100 300 trip for mayor Andreas Jikerwa to attend the 15th Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona from 3 to 5 November, arguing the funds should address the town's challenges instead. The Rundu chief executive said the submission remains under consideration by the management committee and full council before final approval is sought from the line minister.

17 August 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 17 August

Rundu criticises N$100 300 mayor trip to Barcelona conference
Rundu residents and leaders have opposed a proposed N$100 300 trip for mayor Andreas Jikerwa to attend the 15th Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona from 3 to 5 November, arguing the funds should address the town's challenges instead. The Rundu chief executive said the submission remains under consideration by the management committee and full council before final approval is sought from the line minister.
17 August 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 29 July

Ombalantu warns against illegal communal land sales
The Ombalantu Traditional Authority has warned against illegal land sales after a businessman advertised an unfinished mansion for N$27 million in the communal area near Outapi. The authority says land in its jurisdiction cannot be sold; leaseholders are only granted 99-year leases and must consult the authority and Ministry of Urban and Rural Development if compensation is sought.
29 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 13 July

Parliament approves Eiseb as ACC director general
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah nominated Bryan Eiseb as the new Anti-Corruption Commission director general following a prime ministerial motion; Parliament approved without objection. During the Assembly debate, urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa urged Eiseb to lead the institution "like a wolf and not a donkey," warning against allowing the ACC to be weaponised for political or tribal agendas and stressing the need for independent operation.
13 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 28 May

Keetmanshoop municipality spends N$391,000 monthly on vehicle rentals
Keetmanshoop municipality pays N$391,000 a month to rent 26 vehicles from Avis Fleet, including a Mercedes-Benz for the mayor, prompting criticism from councillors who call the expenditure wasteful given the municipality's financial constraints.
28 May 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 18 May

Government plans to cancel Chicco building lease agreement
The Ministry of Works and Transport plans to cancel a lease agreement with businessman Erastus Shapumba for a building the government rents for N$1.1 million per month but does not occupy. Shapumba says he did not draft the lease agreement, which was signed in December 2023 for a three-year term, and argues his rental rate of N$99 per square metre is cheaper than other private buildings.
18 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Social media rental finder scams rising in Namibia
The Namibian Police report growing complaints from people scammed by unregistered rental finders on social media, with some tenants losing between N$1,500 and N$11,000 in fake deposits for properties they never secured, particularly in Windhoek.
18 May 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 8 April

Swapo MP James Uerikua dies in Easter road accident
Swapo parliamentarian James Uerikua, 43, and his 14-year-old son died Friday when their vehicle overturned on the Otjiwarongo-Okakarara road after a rear tyre burst. Colleagues remembered him as a sharp-minded, articulate, and humorous legislator with a passion for farming.
8 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 1 April

ECB introduces new pricing rules for electricity utilities
The Electricity Control Board is establishing new regulations requiring utilities to justify tariffs against actual costs, with a framework designed to incentivise efficiency while keeping prices affordable and predictable over multi-year periods. NamPower has proposed an 8.4% bulk tariff increase, though consumer analysts warn that such increases could burden low-income households already struggling with inflation.
1 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 24 March

Eastern Zambezi communities still use Botswana pula currency illegally
Political leaders including National Democratic Party chief Martin Lukato are blaming past corruption and poor planning for Impalila and Kasika islands' continued illegal use of Botswana pula 36 years after Namibia's independence, and are calling for government action to build a delayed bridge linking the islands and addressing transport challenges in the flood-prone region.
24 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 19 March

IPC MP proposes renaming Henties Bay after founding president
Independent Patriots for Change shadow minister Armas Amukoto has proposed renaming Henties Bay to 'Sam Nujoma Bay' in honour of Namibia's founding president, arguing that the country should replace colonial geographical names with ones that reflect its own liberation history and identity.
19 March 2026 · The Namibian →
IPC lawmaker proposes renaming Henties Bay after Sam Nujoma
IPC lawmaker Armas Amukoto has urged Namibia to rename Henties Bay in honour of founding president Sam Nujoma as part of decolonising public spaces and honouring liberation heroes. The proposal comes as parliament also considers converting the Old State House into a museum dedicated to Nujoma's legacy.
19 March 2026 · New Era →

Friday 13 March

Urban ministry's budget cut will worsen housing backlog, IPC warns
An IPC parliamentarian criticized the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development's reduced N$1.9-billion budget, arguing it will fail to address Namibia's housing shortage. He noted the ministry received N$2.7 billion the previous year but built only 194 housing units in Windhoek and Opuwo combined, while an estimated 12,000 shacks are erected annually.
13 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 4 March

Minister bans private developers from government-serviced land
Minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa has directed local authorities to stop allocating government-serviced land to private developers, arguing that public land should support affordable housing for low-income citizens rather than commercial developments targeting those who can afford houses of N$1.5–2 million. The minister said private developers should service their own land and charge market rates, while formalising informal settlements through certificates of ownership would enable residents to access bank loans.
4 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 25 February

Oshakati council grants five plots to businessman Shapumba
Northern businessman Erastus 'Chicco' Shapumba is set to acquire five industrial plots at Oshakati for N$405 540, prompting opposition councillors to raise concerns about fairness and transparency. Opposition figures argue that allocating multiple plots to a single beneficiary at reduced rates (N$10 per square metre) without a competitive process lacks equitable access and public accountability.
25 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 20 January

Parliamentary committee inspects health capital projects in Otjozondjupa
A 15-member Parliamentary Standing Committee on Gender Equality and Social Services commenced visits to capital projects initiated by the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Otjozondjupa region. The committee is conducting oversight and evaluation of the projects, following reports from the regional governor that many health infrastructure projects in the region remain dormant, incomplete, or non-functional despite multi-year budgeting.
20 January 2026 · New Era →
IPC accuses traditional authorities of corruption in land allocation
Independent Patriots for Change shadow minister Armas Amukoto has blamed traditional authorities for systemic failures in land allocation, including corruption, favouritism, and exclusion of vulnerable communities, citing double allocations and biased decision-making. The criticism comes after government minister James Sankwasa attributed recent deaths among headmen to failures in the Communal Land Board system.
20 January 2026 · The Namibian →