SWAKOPMUND – Erongo governor Nathalia /Goagoses has urged industry players and decision-makers to stop reducing corporate social responsibility (CSR) to “handouts” for optics but instead invest in sustainable solutions that uplift local communities.
Speaking at a capacity-building workshop for the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources on Monday in Swakopmund, she said many residents in the region continue to live in poverty despite contributing to Namibia’s economy through natural resource extraction.
“I don’t want to see residents receiving 10 kg bags of Top Score as so-called corporate social responsibility. Our people don’t need handouts. They need lasting, impactful change,” she said.
/Goagoses said the region – rich in marine and mineral resources – must see more benefits returned to its residents through job creation, skills development and meaningful participation in economic activities.
“If you want to help our people, teach them how to fish. Don’t just donate fish. Equip them to sustainably improve their lives and livelihoods,” she said.
She warned against the lack of coordination and accountability, especially around national development plans and natural resource projects.
She also criticised Erongo’s self-declared title as a “region of excellence”, saying the region’s high unemployment rate and poor academic performance contradict that status.
“I have suspended the word ‘excellence’ until we get it right. We can’t claim excellence when examination results are poor, and unemployment stands at 32%,” /Goagoses stated.
She then called for fair distribution of employment opportunities across all seven constituencies – not just urban centres like Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
“We must remember Erongo is not just Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. We have Daures, Karibib, Omaruru and other rural areas that must also benefit from these engagements and economic activities,” she stressed.