KEETMANSHOOP - Political, technical and administrative heads recently called Keetmanshoop’s Krönlein residents to a community meeting in efforts to reach common grounds on key issues in the best interest of the southern town.
Delivering his welcoming remarks, Keetmanshoop mayor McDonald Hanse said this intervention was long due.
“We want to listen to your problems and also your proposals on how we, as a team, can make our beautiful town prosper to greater heights,” Hanse said, adding that residents have the knowledge and wisdom to deal with challenges at the ground level.
In his contribution, council management committee chairperson, Johannes Vries said they should deploy a proactive approach going forward.
“We should start to do things on the spot instead of predicting what can be anticipated to happen in future, based on projections, “ Vries said.
Vries also informed residents that the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development plans to establish a regional electricity distributor (RED).
Plans to that effect, he said, are to be finalised to form //Au-Ob RED to serve the southern region from Rehoboth [Hardap region] to the farthest borders in the //Kharas.
Addressing the issue of outstanding arrears of ratepayers for the provision of basic services (water, electricity, sewerage), he raised the concern that the situation is hampering service delivery.
“Council is really depending on you to pay these accounts and make arrangements on how to settle your account arrears since when not doing so we will be having challenges to implement projects which can improve your socio-economic living standards,” he explained.
In his contribution, the municipality’s strategic executive for technical services Lee Mwemba said: “Officials will go house-to-house to attach STS six stickers on meter boxes, but our main challenge is having access to residential dwellings.”
He continued that through this process, the council will be able to detect all electricity bypasses and illegal connections in order to take appropriate action against offenders.
Additionally, the acting strategic executive for local economic development, Aina Amukete informed residents that the municipality houses in the Outelain suburb will soon be donated to current occupants.
“Council will also facilitate the construction of 30 houses under the Build Together Project with emphasis on residents of Tseiblaagte Extension 7 as a priority group in addition to being subject to further allocation to the existing waiting list,” said Amukete.
During the meeting, ratepayers raised concerns about noise pollution in some areas where up to four nightclubs are operating and poor road conditions.