RUNDU – The acting CEO of the Rundu Town Council, Sikongo Haihambo, says working without the town councillors whose swearing-in was called off last November due to division has impacted negatively on the council, adding that the town council needs councillors to formulate policies.
Councils work with communities and organisations – including the public, voluntary, community and private sectors – to develop a vision working collaboratively to improve services and quality of life for citizens, and councillors have a role in this process.
Rundu Town Council has been operating without its office-bearers since November 21, 2018 after its swearing-in ceremony of councillors was called off due to division among them over a decision as to whether Rundu mayor Verna Sinimbo should retain her position or not.
“It’s tough, it’s just that mentally I am strong and I don’t want to focus on that issue, but I’m taking tasks that I am able to do, planning ahead and unfortunately or fortunately I cannot stop thinking, and I can also not stop doing what I need to do – the good thing is that council has got a good number of resolutions which were left for implementation and have not yet been implemented due to certain reasons, but I’m going ahead with implementing them, so on that side it’s clean,” he said.
“But on new initiatives that are of a strategic nature my hands are tied and I need some sounding board, I need to talk to someone, no one operates alone no matter how knowledgeable or how experienced, you need someone to talk to, to be directed, so on that score I’m limping,” he added.
“I need my councillors back, no matter how they are going to be composed I just need them so that we can pull in the same direction,” he said.
The councillors are yet to be sworn in as office-bearers as at the moment they are just ordinary councillors. “I have no news as to when they will decide to be sworn in – this time I would want them to be very clear. I don’t want to organise the magistrate and residents to come witness and they go back as councillors, they are not ready. It happened three times in December, twice in a day and the following event was also the same as councillors were not on the same page, so on all three occasions the magistrate who was supposed to facilitate their swearing-in was sent back,” he said.