Keetmanshoop
Swapo //Karas regional coordinator Matheus Mumbala says councillors have neglected their responsibility of service delivery and are instead busy picking fights with administrators.
He says most councillors in the region are pre-occupied with petty issues of fighting administrators, while there is little progress made in terms of development.
He indicated that regional and local authority councillors are making it difficult for development to take place because they are divided on important issues and thus fail to make resolutions, which he says affects the residents in the end.
“We deployed you to give service delivery to your constituencies and local authorities, but now most you instead of sitting down and talking development are fighting and dividing administrators,” he noted.
Mumbala made these remarks while speaking at the regional executive committee ordinary meeting on Saturday, which was also attended by Swapo Secretary General Nangolo Mbumba,
Mumbala pointed out that a clear example of infighting between councillors is at the //Karas Regional Council, where councillors were divided on whether the chief regional officer (CRO) Saul Kahuika should stay or go.
The CRO resigned and was set to leave in May, only to change his mind and withdrew his resignation at the eleventh hour, a decision which Mumbala says was influenced by some councillors who had asked him to stay on until December.
Mumbala urged Swapo councillors to refrain from such destructive behaviour, reminding them that they were not elected to associate with or speak to certain individuals only, saying the infighting will affect the pace of development.
“There is little achievement, but more can be done and we want to see the results at the end of their term,” he said on his assessment of the councillors so far.
He called on the councillors to work in the interest of the community, and not for their personal gain, saying the party will not allow that.
He pointed out Aus, Koës, Tutungeni informal settlement at Rosh Pinah and Ileni informal settlement at Keetmanshoop as areas that need urgent attention in terms of sanitation, and challenged the councillors to solve these problems facing the electorate in the areas, stating that it’s unacceptable after 26 years of independence.
“Seeing our people helping themselves along the main road (B1) is uncalled for,” he said of the dire need for proper toilet facilities at Ileni.
He called on the councillors not to celebrate after winning elections but to celebrate after service delivery only.