2018-03-07Staff Report 2 Kuzeeko Tjitemisa Windhoek-In its efforts to take basic amenities to the people, the Omaheke Regional Council has for the coming financial year resolved to make a substantial investment in housing. Omaheke is one of the regions that doesn’t have a single house constructed under the mass housing programme. Speaking at the official opening of the first ordinary regional council meeting for 2018 in Gobabis yesterday, Omaheke Regional Chairperson Ignatius Kariseb said this year the council decided to prioritise housing on the regional council’s agenda. “It is for this reason that the management committee of the regional council is engaging a private consultant to provide alternative low-cost housing units to our people,” he said. He said currently the council is awaiting a comprehensive proposal from the consultant. “The management committee has already directed the administration to prioritise and expedite this process leading to the approval of the proposal,” he added. Kariseb says last year he directed that the regional Build Together committee be reactivated as a matter of urgency. However, he said, while the committee has been reactivated and a plan was approved to complete and repair all uncompleted and substandard houses, as well as to construct new ones in the region’s settlements, people are still sitting without houses. Kariseb is urging all local authorities in the region to seriously attend to, and prioritise, land delivery and construction of affordable housing for its inhabitants. Kariseb reminded those in attendance about this year’s theme as set by President Hage Geingob – i.e. “the year of reckoning.” He said this implies that, as public office-bearers, they are expected to account to the electorate on the realisation of electoral promises and implementation of national development plans. “To quote the president during the opening of the first Cabinet meeting in February this year, ‘reckoning includes due recognition for delivery and stark consequences for non-delivered’,” he said. “We must intensify our efforts towards accountability, transparency and effective governance,” said Kariseb. He said civil servants are expected to account to their leaders on “implementation progress”. “We have spoken too many times and we have adopted too many plans, but we do not see any results,” he said, adding that as leaders they are disadvantaging the electorate with too many plans and no action. “We have a Public Service Act that provides due processes to be followed when instituting disciplinary action against transgressing civil servants,” he said. Kariseb says “like Geingob says, we cannot have civil servants occupying positions with a sense of entitlement and taking their responsibilities for granted, or supervisors who fail to take action against their transgressing subordinates.” Kariseb called upon acting chief regional officer, Maria Vaendwanawa, to ensure wayward staff are held to account and called to reckoning, “as mandated to you by the Regional Councils Act, No. 22 of 1992”. 2018-03-07Staff Report 2
