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Even as Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and the majority of councillors remain on a prolonged governance boycott, the Freetown City Council (FCC) has announced that essential services—particularly waste management—are continuing uninterrupted, crediting the durability of systems established under the mayor’s leadership.
In a statement released on its official Facebook page, the FCC said daily early-morning street sweeping is keeping major streets clean, describing the operations as “proof of service delivery beyond individual presence.”
The statement commended “the young women and youth whose dedication sustains this work, helping build a cleaner, more resilient Freetown.”
The announcement comes amid escalating political tensions following the All People’s Congress (APC) party’s decision in late February 2026 to withdraw from all levels of governance. The opposition party has directed its elected officials—including Members of Parliament, mayors, and councillors—to boycott government structures in protest over the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) administration’s handling of recommendations from the Cross-Party Tripartite Committee, which was formed to address the fallout from the disputed 2023 general elections. A key flashpoint has been the government’s appointment of Edmond Sylvester Alpha as Chief Electoral Commissioner, a move the APC has condemned as procedurally defective.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr, first elected in 2018 and re-elected in subsequent local polls, has publicly confirmed her participation in the boycott while insisting she remains the legitimate elected mayor. She has stressed that she can only be removed from office through established legal processes, not by a unilateral decision of a section of councillors.
The political vacuum prompted SLPP councillors to nominate Councillor Ibrahim Gbla as acting mayor in late March 2026, a move aimed at “restoring functional governance” in the capital. SLPP officials have argued that the prolonged APC boycott has created a governance vacuum that threatens basic service delivery, justifying the emergency intervention under provisions of the Local Government (Amendment) Act 2022.
However, the appointment has been strongly contested. Mayor Aki-Sawyerr has dismissed the move as having no legal basis, citing Section 16(3) of the Local Government Act 2022, which she argues does not provide for the creation of an “Acting Mayor” position with executive powers. Her stance has received support from legal voices, including former SLPP mayor Layemin Joe Sandi, who has publicly questioned the legality of the appointment, warning that the move could undermine the legal framework governing local councils.
Despite the political standoff and the disputed nature of the acting mayor appointment, the FCC’s latest statement emphasizes that institutional systems have proven resilient.
“Daily early morning street sweeping is keeping major streets clean,” the statement reiterated, highlighting that the essential work of sanitation continues through the dedication of the city’s youth workforce, irrespective of the political turbulence at City Hall.
