KEETMANSHOOP – //Kharas Regional Council chairperson, Gerrit Witbooi, emphasised that the council must preoccupy itself with present and future deliverables rather than clinging to past challenges or failure of the previous regime.
Until last year, the //Kharas Regional Council was dominated by the Landless Peoples Movement, who fell off their high horses during the 2025 Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections.
Swapo now rules the South as it has been the case since independence.
He made these remarks when delivering the welcoming remarks during the 2026 opening of the regional council event yesterday in the southern town. “Let us rather stop clinging to the past regime and align ourselves with the current elected political leadership,” he said. The chairperson continued by saying that, “The current seven-member regional council is here to take //Kharas from now till November 2030 to new heights with a clear vision.”
Holding no words, he warned administrators to keep their distance and not burden themselves with political decision-making. “Let administrators carry out their prescribed responsibilities and the political leadership concentrate on discussing and passing council resolutions, for when these two organs are mixed up, it will create chaos,” he cautioned. Witbooi then called on all stakeholders present to take hands this year and work together in unity for the sake of the development of the region to the benefit of its citizens.
In his remarks, //Kharas Regional Governor Dawid Gertze bemoaned the issue of ill-perceived disrespect of some administrators towards the regional political leadership. “If I happen to observe this again, rest assured that I will deal with it accordingly,” he warned.
The regional political head further pointed out to those present that everybody was appointed to the council for specific reasons. “We are not here to please each other but rather to unite and work together, cultivating a spirit of effective and efficient service delivery to the benefit of our community,” he urged.
Gertze also expressed disappointment in administrators’ repeated absence from duty and deliberate “cancer” of coming late to events.
“These evils are delaying and crippling effective service delivery, letting our citizens pull on the short end in the process,’’ he strongly emphasised.
The region’s first citizen, in addition, made those present fully aware that the regional council is and shall continue to operate within the perimeters of the Swapo Party manifesto and the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6). “These national documents are what will stimulate and bring about development in the region, and it will be in your best interest to accept it accordingly,’’ he said.
“We should work alongside one another, pull in the same direction in a unified manner, stop unnecessary infighting and be passionate about our portfolios,” he added.
He also called on them to be passionate in their doings, see the beauty of it and bring about plausible and visible changes that can improve the livelihood of citizens.