Staff Reporter
Windhoek-The new mayor of Khorixas, Elizabeth Geises, has called for unity in the quest to develop the north-western town that has for the past 27 years seen development stagnate.
Geises became the mayor of Khorixas in the middle of December last year after the previous mayor Gerson //Goagoseb was voted out after two years in the seat. //Goagoseb also served as mayor years ago on an UDF ticket before jumping ship to Swapo.
“My message as the new mayor of our town is to join hands, rather than throwing stones and pointing fingers at each other. Teamwork is very important,” Geises told New Era recently.
Residents were called upon to attend meetings in huge numbers and Geises also warned people against pointing fingers and blaming the previous mayor, “as now it is time to be pragmatic, move forward and work together” to develop the town.
Geises also urged residents to work hand in hand with traditional authorities and elders to develop the town. “We as residents hear almost every week how our traditional leaders such as #Aodaman and others, as well as elders, plead for unity and development of our town – therefore I call upon us all to join them,” further counselled the new mayor who seems to have hit the ground running.
On the dirtiness of Khorixas, Geises said that community meetings would be held with the youths to discuss the planned clean-up campaigns and the issue of unemployment.
According Geises, the massive rubbish around the town is due to the December holidays but she promised to completely clean up the town with the youth.
“I am very concerned about high unemployment amongst the youth in Khorixas. I grew up and completed my schooling here so it pains me a lot,” Geises told New Era.
Last December during the election of councillors, UDF’s Eddy /Nanub was voted in as deputy mayor, while Swapo’s Klavius Tjinduwa was elected as chairperson of the management committee. UDF’s Lena #Gaeses was voted in as deputy chairperson of the management committee and Erwin /Howoseb of UDF as member of the management committee, while previous mayor //Goagoseb and then deputy mayor Emgard #Nauses, both from Swapo, are ordinary councillors.
On both UDF and Swapo occupying top positions at the Khorixas Town Council despite Swapo being the majority party, Geises said that it would not be the first time in Namibia that Swapo and other parties will share leadership positions in the country.
“ It’s all in the name of development,” Geises said.
In 2015, Minister of Urban and Rural Development Sophia Shaningwa said she was shocked that Khorixas’s development was stagnant, while in 2013 councillors from Khorixas visited then governor of Kunene Joshua //Hoebeb to address lack of support from central government to develop the town.
Most of the town’s residents still travel to Otjiwarongo to do their shopping as the north-western town only has Pep Stores and OK Value as its major retail shops.