Adolf Kaure
The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD) launched its Strategic Plan (2025/2026 – 2029/2030).
Officiating at the occasion, Minister James Sankwasa urged officials to adopt a long-term development mindset to support Namibia’s industrialisation agenda.
Sankwasa said the plan should serve as a key management tool to ensure the ministry achieves its desired future in line with its mandate, stressing that short-term thinking could undermine sustainable development.
“We should not be short-sighted. Our job is therefore central to the strengthening system of sub-national government,” Sankwasa said. “What is missing in the process is long-term components that are needed to build a long-term prosperous, productive, and sustainable society,” he added.
The strategic plan is anchored on three key pillars: sustainable human settlement development, effective governance and public service delivery, and regional and rural development.
Also speaking at the event, the ministry’s executive director, Petrus Sindimba, said the plan reflects MURD’s commitment to improving the welfare of Namibians through structured planning, clear objectives, and coordinated stakeholder engagement.
“The ministry seeks to strengthen governance, enhance decentralisation and improve service delivery regionally and at local level. Furthermore, the strategic plan contributes towards the realisation of the national developmental aspirations as articulated in Vision 2030 by ensuring policies, programmes and resources are aligned towards sustainable socio-economic development,” Sindimba said.
He added that the plan is guided by Article 95 of the Namibian Constitution and aligned to key national and international frameworks, including the SWAPO Manifesto, the Decentralisation Policy, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), and Vision 2030.
Vision 2030 central to implementation
Sankwasa emphasised that Vision 2030 remains central to the ministry’s strategic direction and implementation framework, urging staff to continuously measure their performance against its goals. “As a ministry, staff members, let us critically examine ourselves against the strategic objectives of Vision 2030, that by 2030, Namibia shall be a prosperous, industrial country developed by her human resources, enjoying peace, harmony and political stability,” he said.
Vision 2030, launched in 2004 by late founding president Sam Nujoma, serves as Namibia’s long-term development blueprint aimed at improving the quality of life of all citizens and positioning the country alongside developing global counterparts.
Sankwasa reminded staff that only four years remain before the target year, stressing the importance of urgency and reflection.
“It is only four years remaining before reaching the year 2030. This vision has a clear understanding that it was and remains a vision that would take Namibia from the present to the future. And we must remember that the future is not a place that you are going to. The future is a place that we must create today,” Sankwasa elaborated.
He added that Vision 2030 requires constant reflection on Namibia’s past and present in order to shape a better future.
Mandate and performance measurement
The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development derives its mandate from Article 32 of the Namibian Constitution and is responsible for designing, coordinating, and implementing policies, legal frameworks, and support systems for sustainable urban and rural development.
Key responsibilities include overseeing regional and local governance, managing decentralisation processes, and facilitating housing, sanitation, and land-use management.
The strategic plan outlines 18 key performance indicators that will be used to measure the ministry’s performance over the five-year period.
-akaure@nepc.com
Photo: Heather Erdmann