Georgetown cannot wait

The state of Georgetown, Guyana’s capital city, has long been a reflection of its municipal leadership. Yet, recent developments underscore a troubling reality, political considerations have repeatedly taken precedence over the needs of residents and businesses. The decision by Mayor Alfred Mentore and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)-aligned councillors to boycott a crucial meeting on the city’s sanitation challenges highlights a persistent failure in governance that is jeopardizing the health, safety, and well-being of Georgetown’s citizens and businesses.
Local Government and Regional Development Minister Priya Manickchand’s commitment to move forward with programmes aimed at improving sanitation and the overall condition of the city, even without the cooperation of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), is therefore necessary. Georgetown has endured years of neglect, and its residents cannot continue to bear the consequences of partisan obstruction. The capital’s growing solid waste management crisis is symptomatic of a broader dysfunction at City Hall, where political allegiances appear to override the fundamental responsibility of municipal authorities that is to serve the public.
Manickchand’s efforts to establish collaboration with the M&CC were met with repeated frustration. Scheduled meetings were abandoned at the last minute, commitments were not honoured, and councillors reportedly left proceedings abruptly after receiving phone calls. Such behaviour signals a governance structure more interested in political maneuvering than in addressing the urgent needs of citizens. The consequences are tangible: inconsistent garbage collection, public health risks, and a capital city that risks becoming increasingly uninhabitable.
Georgetown is not only home to residents but also hosts businesses, government offices, and visitors from across Guyana and the wider region. A city plagued by poor sanitation and mismanagement affects commerce, tourism, and public confidence. When local leadership prioritizes political allegiances over the basic functioning of the city, the cost is borne by those who rely on City Hall to provide essential services. Citizens are left holding the burden of inefficiency, while elected representatives appear more concerned with optics and party loyalty than with tangible results.
It is in this context that Minister Manickchand’s decisive stance is both warranted and overdue. By insisting that central government take the lead in remedying Georgetown’s sanitation challenges, the minister underscores a fundamental principle of governance: public service must not be held hostage to politics. Her plan to consult directly with residents, business owners, and users of the city demonstrates a citizen-centred approach that has long been absent in municipal decision-making. Progress cannot—and should not, be contingent on the cooperation of officials who have consistently demonstrated an inability or unwillingness to act in the public interest.
Further, the minister’s actions send a message about accountability and municipal leadership must recognize that their positions are a mandate to serve, not an opportunity to obstruct. The repeated failure to honour commitments and the apparent benefit derived from a city approaching uninhabitability reflect poorly on the M&CC’s priorities. The public deserves a city that is clean, safe, and functional—not one constrained by political posturing.
The path forward requires demands action, oversight, and decisive leadership. Minister Manickchand has signalled that the era of inaction, excuses, and political games will no longer be tolerated. The central government’s intervention in coordinating sanitation programmes and urban improvements is not a challenge to local governance; it is a necessary corrective to safeguard public health and ensure the capital’s livability.
Citizens, businesses, and visitors alike must lend their support to efforts that prioritise the city’s needs over partisan interests. The time for excuses has passed. Residents cannot wait while politics dictates the state of their streets, sanitation, and quality of life.
Ultimately, service to the public must trump political loyalty and Georgetown’s future depends not on the indulgence of obstructive officials but on the commitment of those willing to act in the best interest of the city.