Windhoek – The Windhoek City Council is formulating criteria that will be used as a basis to possibly write off the debts of qualifying pensioners and vulnerable residents who are indebted to the municipality.
Speaking at the first monthly council meeting for 2016 last Thursday evening, Windhoek mayor Muesee Kazapua said late last year the council embarked on an exercise to register pensioners and vulnerable residents for possible write-off of debts and a reduction in rates owed to the muncipality.
Kazapua said this exercise would go a long way in alleviating the plight of pensioners and the vulnerable.
“It should however be clearly understood that not all pensioners will benefit from this social intervention, as not all pensioners may be vulnerable,” said Kazapua.
The mayor’s office is currently finalizing the mayoral agenda for the year, which spells out what council would like to achieve. This will serve as a guide to tackle projects that the council believes will have a positive impact on people’s lives.
Apart from the mayor’s annual agenda the council also committed itself to a priority action plan, five-year strategic plan 2016-2020, restructuring of the department of urban planning and property management, ‘clean city’ initiatives, a mayor’s development fund and a city master plan.
Additionally, Kazapua said the council is grateful to have been accorded the opportunity to express its views on amendments to the local authorities act.
He said it is their contention that after more than two decades of democratic local governance in Namibia, progress has been made with respect to growth and autonomy of local authorities.
“It is important to reiterate that in our view the proposed amendments will impact negatively and in a profound manner on the goals of the constitution and the stated ideals of devolution of power through decentralization, the principles of accountability and democratic governance,” said Kazapua.
Kazapua indicated that it is worth noting that the adoption of a decentralization policy demonstrates the national commitment to realizing the aspirations of bringing government closer to the people.
In its current state, the bill undermines the said principles and does not enhance the desired autonomy and participatory governance, he added.
Kazapua said democracy is sustained and entrenched when people are capacitated to make decisions at their own level.