Former Keetmanshoop Rural constituency councilor Gerrit Witbooi is highly confident that he will be back in office after the by-elections on 15 May 2023. The election is as a result of the Landless People’s Movement recalling him after a spate of public disagreements between himself and the party’s leadership.
Witbooi, who registered as an independent candidate, was confident of victory during an interview with New Era. He promised to solve the burning issue of unemployment and poverty.
“Being the one having brought up the motion during a previous regional council meeting, I will, when voted into power, fast- track the 5 000-hectare irrigation land available for development at the Neckartal Dam from which all seven constituencies in the region will benefit equally,’’ he asserted.
The veteran politician added that other avenues to be explored to provide employment opportunities for residents in the //Kharas region will be to convert the Van Rhyn Dam outside the town into a recreation facility, expediting the construction of the solar energy plant at Klein
//Kharas, and starting with the tarred road between Keetmanshoop and the Klein-Menasse border post via Aroab.
“In terms of empowering our unemployed youth in the region, the relevant stakeholders should map out solutions speaking to address the problem by introducing an entrepreneurial starter pack for this younger segment of our population,” he suggested.
Witbooi said the much-talked-about oil discoveries and green hydrogen project should carry the interest and needs of the residents of the region where these resources are found, as a priority.
“Our youth should be trained in these energy fields, whilst low-skilled labour should be accorded to the unemployed with the element of skills transfer in the future,” he emphasised.
He also reasoned that the need for a change in leadership must be regarded as imperative.
“The offices of the governor and the //Kharas Regional Council chairperson should start the work in unity, with one common goal of advancing the interests of all our citizens without fear or favour,’’ he stated. ‘’Since I was recalled by LPM for not condoning favouritism in recruitment processes, the electorate can rest assured that those candidates recommended for vacant positions during interviews will be appointed without nepotism and favouritism influencing such processes,” he vowed.
Citing achievements accomplished during his time in office, he mentioned the facilitation of various income-generating donations for the less fortunate, securing funds for the registration of youth pursuing studies at tertiary educational institutions, and ensuring the employment of 300 unemployed at the Naute and Aldahara irrigation projects as proof of his suitability to assume duty in office again.
Witbooi thus called on his supporters to vote him into power again as they know he will always fight for their cause, and also for him to complete all community projects addressing socio-economic challenges he started before his departure from office.