Matheus Hamutenya
KEETMANSHOOP – //Kharas Regional Governor Lucia Basson vowed that corruption would not be allowed in the region, and warned public officials at government offices to not only condemn corrupt practices but to report corrupt incidences to relevant authorities.
“Corruption has resulted in many incomplete projects in our country which could have benefitted thousands of our people, so I must emphasise that corruption is a no go area in this region, and therefore I call upon all citizens to be whistle-blowers to report corrupt activities,” said Basson in her State of the Region Address last week Thursday.
Addressing regional and local councillors, public servants and residents, Basson noted that corruption has adverse effects on service delivery, which affects ordinary residents of the region, and therefore corrupt activities should be condemned, and she called on citizens to report any corrupt activities without fear.
She further said accountability is non-negotiable and each and every government institution must account for every dollar spent, especially during this period of economic hardship, adding that in order for this to be possible, such offices must be transparent and therefore share important information with the residents at all times.
“We must be transparent at all material cost, because the public must know and understand why, when, and what was done and as civil servants and politicians we must be able to justify our actions,” she stated. She further directed local and regional councils to conduct regular community meetings, with the purpose of informing the residents on projects, communicate major council resolutions and also to address complaints by residents.
Basson also urged civil servants who have not signed their performance agreements, to do so as soon as possible, saying this is not only an important undertaking for personal growth, but also important for service delivery in government.
The governor also spoke on the state of housing, health, education, and sanitation, saying the region is making great strides in these sectors with houses built at various towns, while the servicing of residential areas have also progressed well at some towns.
She also noted that the region is on track to eliminate the bucket toilet system, confidently said that the region will finally kick the bucket system out during this financial year.