Edgar Brandt
Windhoek-The newly appointed Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa, last Thursday held his first meeting with staff members at the ministry and emphasised the maintenance of state infrastructure as one of the key issues affecting the country.
During the meeting, attended by hundreds of the ministry’s approximately 2,000 staff, Mutorwa emphasised that it is no use constantly installing brand-new infrastructure if this infrastructure is not maintained.
“This ministry should be at the forefront of maintenance for all and specifically for other government ministries,” said Mutorwa at the staff meeting that for the first time was held in conjunction with parastatals affiliated with the Ministry of Works and Transport.
Heads of various parastatals attended the meeting at the ministry after Mutorwa’s appointment by President Hage Geingob last week, including from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, the Namibia Ports Authority, the Namibia Airports Company, Air Namibia, and TransNamib, among others.
“My appointment came at a very crucial time in our nation’s socio-economic development and in the practical implementation of the Swapo Party 2014 election manifesto, NDP5 and the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP). I have joined you, so that in a small, humble but determined, principled and focussed way, I shall and I must add my combined weight, in order that we all pull the heavy wagon of works and transport in one cherished direction so as to contribute, significantly, towards the attainment of infrastructure development and maintenance, economic growth and job creation, in our country specifically, the SADC region and the African continent, generally,” said Mutorwa.
He added that at policy level, the deputy minister and he will continue to strive, to the best of their abilities and within the confines of general government policy, to see that “the right things are done for the sake of Namibia and all her people”.
Mutorwa, who noted that he believes in an ‘open door policy’, said that approved invoices not paid for services rendered, is tantamount to economic sabotage.