WALVIS BAY – Constituency offices should not be used for relaxing but rather be utilised to transform the livelihoods of communities they are operating in as well as to influence policies that could bring much needed development.
The Erongo Region Governor, Cleophas Mutjavikua, said this when he officially opened the Erongo Regional Rural Constituency offices at Tutaleni in Walvis Bay last Wednesday.
Mutjavikua said constituency offices especially the rural offices have a very significant role to play, and their main aim is to address the social needs of those living in their jurisdiction.
He then highlighted the lack of housing, increasing shacks as well as shack fires as some of the main challenges the town faces and which need collective efforts from all stakeholders to address.
“These offices should remind us that we need to work harder to address the needs of our people. We should not only start when a fire occurs. We must constantly remind ourselves that we have numerous problems rather than seeing our jobs as comfort positions,” Mutjavikua said.
According to the governor this was one of the reasons why government has initiated the mass housing programme so that affordable housing will be within the reach of everybody.
“However, we must not only look at the government to provide housing or cater for the needs of our people – we must continuously seek ways also to address our own social issues. Let us work hard and add value to our communities and eradicate these issues,” stressed the regional governor.
The rural offices were constructed at a cost of N$2.5 million. The site handover was done on 24 April 2009 and the project that was completed in March 2010 has been operating since 2002 by renting office space from the Walvis Bay Municipality.
The rural offices provide services to the community of Walvis Bay Rural including the Topnaar community along the Kuiseb River. The office also embarked on a development programme and various projects were initiated for the Topnaar people.
Other projects include a gardening project and small grants to entrepreneurs.
Two constituency offices were inaugurated in Okhombahe and Otjimbingwe last week.