Keetmanshoop
‘Failure is not in my vocabulary,’ outgoing Keetmanshoop Mayor Moses Titus says. He did not fail during his tenure and has nothing to regret about his time as mayor, Titus announced, as he prepared to relinquish the seat he held for the past five years.
The outgoing mayor says the 11 years he spent at the municipality – where he served as councillor for six years and as mayor for five years – have been very successful, as the council managed to achieve several key objectives.
He highlighted, amongst others, the N$3 million bulk electricity installation at 240 households in Tseiblaagte Extension 5, the servicing of 240 erven in Kronlein Extension 1 and Tseiblaagte Extension 6 at the cost of N$4 million, as well as the installation of a 2.6 km high-capacity bulk sewerage line as some of the major milestones reached during his tenure.
“There have been no failures during my term as mayor. I have no regrets as mayor of Keetmanshoop or as council member,” he said. He added that, in collaboration with central government and other stakeholders, the municipality made a significant contribution towards the town’s development by availing land for the Old Mutual shopping complex and the University of Namibia (Unam) campus.
Titus says the municipality is also in the midst of negotiations to avail land to the Namibian Training Authority, while land has already been set aside for the establishment of a logistics hub, to be known as the dry port.
Another piece of land at Van Rhyn Dam has been granted to the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture for youth development.
The outgoing mayor, however, conceded that there were struggles and challenges during his tenure. He says attracting businesspeople to invest in the town, developing a proper land delivery plan, generating sufficient revenue to cover operations and keeping the municipal rates and taxes affordable are some of the major challenges he faced.
Asked about his future political career and plans, he explained that he has no intentions to become mayor again, as he feels the 11 years he spent at the municipality were enough and that it is time for him to focus on other areas. “I will of course continue to serve the community in any way possible, because ultimately it is the wellbeing of the people that is most important,” he concluded.