Suzith Tjitaura

KEETMANSHOOP – The resignation of two management committee councillors at the Karasburg Town Council has resulted in the council not conducting decision-making meetings, hampering the delivery of services to the residents of the town.

The town council has not had a management committee meeting for the past two months.

This was picked up by Nampa during the //Kharas Regional Council development coordination committee meeting in Keetmanshoop on Wednesday.

The town council’s local economic development practitioner, Hieronimus Basson told the meeting that council sits with N$500 000 for the Build Together project but nothing can be done without a management committee meeting.

“Decisions cannot be made in the absence of management committee meetings; nothing can be approved. We even have funds from the Road Fund Administration for roads; however, we cannot utilise that also. It was recommended that we do a strategic plan, which was done at the cost of N$296 000; however, it still sits on my desk, waiting for the council’s approval,” he said.

He added the council spent over N$300 000 for a consultant company to evaluate and assess old council buildings at the town to determine their value and what the council could use them for.

Nampa is reliably informed that the Karasburg Town Council has at least N$7.2 million “lying around” that awaits to be utilised to the benefit of the residents.

Basson said during the 2023/2024 financial year, the council has allocated close to N$1 million to install a water treatment plant to reduce council operating costs when providing water to the residents, and the project is 80% completed.

The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has approved the construction of a fire station at the cost of N$4.5 million; however, construction cannot happen in the absence of a management committee.

The management committee is the link between the administration and council of any local authority; it manages the operation of the institution on a day-to-day basis and ensures that resolutions taken are carried out.

Karasburg mayor Maria Veldskoen, when approached for comment on the matter, promised to get back to this news agency but failed to do so, whereas repeated follow-up attempts also failed to yield a response.

The Landless People’s Movement has four out of the seven seats at the Karasburg Town Council, while Swapo has two, and Independent Patriots of Change has one.

- Nampa