2015-04-17Staff Report 2 "WALVIS BAY - Local authority administrators and councils have been urged to apply themselves and avoid unnecessary bureaucratic delays that stunt development projects. The Minister of Information and Communication Technology (MICT), Tjekero Tweya says efficiency is essential if administrators do not want politicians to intervene and kick out ineffective administrators. He reprimanded officials at the groundbreaking ceremony of the N$480 million Dunes Mall being built at the coast that would transform the landscape of Walvis Bay. Developers of the mall waited for nine years to finally obtain land to construct the mall. This process, Tweya said, should become something of the past and development projects such as these must rather be fast-tracked because they create jobs. He said such lengthy processes must be avoided and if there are no laws to fast-track such developments they should be enacted to deal with this prevalent anomaly. “Our president Dr Hage Geingob is very clear on development and poverty eradication and any obstacles that hamper this process must be fixed. It is our responsibility to identify them and fix them,” he said. He lashed out at bureaucrats with hidden agendas, who have the world’s patience and playing delaying tactics costly to the country in terms of development. “Most of them are not here today. However they enjoy not doing anything. They have become experts in this regard and conveniently go to their offices only to make sure that nothing happens. They are blocking development instead of bringing development,” lamented the information minister. Tweya then said the new government makes it clear that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated at all. “If you are used to being an obstacle toward development you’ve got only one choice either you move yourself or the new system will crush you out of the way. In simple terms, you will be spit out for not doing anything,” said Tweya. Swapo was given renewed mandate under a new president and he has high expectations just as the Namibian electorate wants him to deliver. Therefore he gave ministers and governors the mandate to act if administrators do not execute their duties. ""So there is no way that you as an administrator can say that we interfere with your job. We simply intervene to make sure that your duties are carried out. If the administrators don’t move, the politicians will interfere and kick them,” reiterated the minister." 2015-04-17Staff Report 2
