Mariental

A change of leadership in the way of doing things will not be the case in Hardap Region as current governor Esme Isaak intends to follow in the footsteps of her predecessor Katrina Hanse-Himarwa.

In an exclusive interview with New Era in which she spoke about how she intends to take the region forward, the challenges ahead and her way of tackling issues, she outlined that her plan is to continue exactly where now Minister of Education Hanse-Himarwa left off.

She says her forerunner is an exemplary leader and thus sees no point in deviating from her way of doing things, adding that the Swapo-led government believes in continuity.

“Thus I don’t think my fashion of leading the great Hardap Region will differ from hers,” she stressed.

Her quest for continuity is evident in her choosing to retain the support team that worked with Hanse-Himarwa, including her personal assistant Carl Christiaans. She says her decision to keep the  well-oiled team is already bearing fruit.

Pointing out the main challenges facing the region, which she says includes education, unemployment, poverty, health and the housing crisis, she explains that these are issues that commonly affect people of the entire region. However, she believes it needs a collective effort to tackle the problems fully.

She adds that a collective effort would need all role-players – be it the private sector, local authorities or traditional authorities – to play their part to help solve the region’s problems. She notes that a strategy would be worked out on how to tackle the problems head-on at the regional level and she is busy with establishing the governor’s advisory council to pave an all-inclusive way forward to take the region to the next level in terms of dealing with common challenges facing people on a daily basis.

“I will tackle challenges one by one, collectively and with all the machinery at my disposal,” she stressed.

She urged the people of Hardap to join hands with her as they are all in the same boat and thus it’s imperative that all work together for the common good, adding: “If this ship capsizes all of us will perish.”

On the legacy she wants to leave behind when her term of office ends, she says everyone wants to leave on a high and positive note, but for now she intends to work until she crosses “the bridge”.

“I would like to look back, smile and see my footprints in Hardap Region,” she says.