Katrina Jacob
The Khomas Regional Council last week held a progress review and planning workshop where councillors and technocrats heading various departments looked at the progress made and impact of development initiatives that were planned and implemented during the last five years.
The budget for the new financial year and discussions around performance agreements of the regional council as well as the decentralised functions were also high on the agenda.
The process of decentralisation has benefited and continues to empower the regional councils and local authorities in a way that it broadened democracy, and ensuring a greater equity in attending to a needy population.
Decentralisation ensures economic, cultural and socio-economic development, as it provides people at the grassroots level the opportunity to participate in their own decision-making and extend democracy as a right based on national ideals and values. According to the Khomas chief regional officer Clement Mafwila, the workshop served as an orientation and induction of the new councillors. Mafwila urged the new council to be more aggressive than the older group in order to curb regional challenges. “You have a social agreement with the community; therefore, you are answerable to the community when it comes to housing, health and education provision to bring about a positive impact within your community.”
Windhoek West constituency councillor Emma Tangi Muteka said the workshop provides a roadmap for them as councillors in the execution of their duties as expected by the electorates. On the other hand, Windhoek East’s councillor Brian Black says in order to plan for the future, one need to take stock.
“The growth of Khomas region is important to us, but in order to plan for our people and to serve them we need to have a clear picture of where we are coming from, where we are and where we are going.”
Black stressed that as the number of inhabitants in Windhoek increases, this push for decent living standard, decent housing and toilets. Speaking at the same event, governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua encouraged mutual respect and smooth cooperation between the councillors and their respective support staff to ensure efficient and effective service delivery to the Namibian nation.
McLeod stressed the workshop came at the right time as the new councillors have recently joined the regional leadership. She pondered the need of working together, mutual communication and understanding between the constituency Councillors and the administrative staff.
Cooperation, coordination should be of utmost importance when carrying out the council duties at all time to make sure we provide fast and efficient service to the nation, she said. “Customer service is essential, and the public should be assisted efficiently in public offices instead of being sent around by the public servants,” said McLeod-Katjirua.