RUNDU – The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) candidate as councillor in the Katima Mulilo Urban constituency’s by-election Lynnette Malipa has promised to turn the town into a logistics hub.

Malipa is employed by the Roads Authority in the Zambezi region as a principal transport inspector.

“If I’m elected, I will turn the Katima Mulilo Urban constituency into a logistics and tourism hub since it is a gateway to landlocked SADC countries. I will also revive the Zambezi Waterfront, while developing more tourism facilities within the constituency,” she enthused.

Just like other aspiring councillors, Malipa is campaigning to emerge victorious in the upcoming by-election slated for 25 August, necessitated by the death of former councillor John Mukaya in a car accident in May this year.

“During my 15 years of working in my hometown Katima Mulilo, I have been fortunate enough to work closely with other stakeholders in seeking solutions to local concerns. I used to attend council meetings, and saw how matters affecting the community were debated between the ruling and opposition parties,” she observed.

“However, these concerns were debated based on the principles of majority rule, and not on their merits. As a result, solutions that were intended to address these concerns were overlooked, and that affected the development of the town and the region at large. In service delivery, we don’t look at the colours of the flag, but we look at the leadership qualities,” she stated. 

The IPC candidate said in an interview with New Era that opposition parties should not be seen as threats, but as helping with fixing the mistakes because they are equally responsible for upholding the best interests of citizens.

“I’m your shot to putting an end to the disunity. I’m here to promote unity for the development of our constituency and region. I believe it is the job of a good leader to keep the community united. It is time to take responsibility for the issues facing the community and begin to respond to them,” she continued.

“We have our natural resources with a small population, but some other regions with bigger populations and fewer resources are outperforming us economically. Something must be wrong with our strategies and decisions. This is the reason I got involved to install good governance and identify priorities to return the benefits of our region’s natural resources to the people. Our struggle was to provide opportunities to all the people to participate in building and enjoying our region’s riches”.

Malipa is also serving her second five-year term as the deputy chairperson of the National Road Safety Council of Namibia, which will end in 2025.

The aspiring councillor said what inspired her to join the contest is the urge to fight corruption, and the interest to invest in quality infrastructure like roads, electricity and water supply pipelines, as well as her interest in pushing for the upgrading of the Katima Mulilo hospital to intermediate hospital with improved health services, amongst others.

“I will advocate for decentralised services to the Zambezi region; poverty eradication through income-generation programmes; as well as advocate for quality education and promote food security programmes in our region,” she added.

“I’m aware of the need for a market for our local produce, and there is also a need to promote gender balance, in addition to fighting gender-based violence and substance abuse amongst the youth in this constituency,” she noted. Malipa said what makes her the best candidate is because she has a background in community services, where she has been active on regional task forces and has listened to the community and acted upon their concerns and ideas.

“With the current economic disparities and economic growth recovery, it is difficult to make empty promises to the electorate. However, we need to operate within our means. The allocated funds for capital projects in the region as well as the operational budget for the regional council shall be used to advocate for the implementation of the manifesto, which covers the basic needs of the people to restore their dignity,” she stated. jmuyamba@nepc.com.na