Newly-elected Swapo coordinator for Otjozondjupa Imms Namaseb has vowed all local and regional councillors and party office-bearers will soon be held accountable to a set of standards as they are expected to sign performance agreements during his five-year reign.
In the history of former Otjozondjupa regional coordinators, none has ever implemented performance agreements for elected councillors and office-bearers.
“For elected regional and local authority councillors and Swapo party office-bearers, my office will implement a performance agreement as a legal set of documents; and as such, put in place performance expectations and obligations within the party structure as well as consequences for not meeting the Swapo party manifesto,” Namaseb told New Era in an interview this week.
The former Namibia Football Association (NFA) president said this performance agreements would consist of agreed objectives, indicators and targets to measure progress in implementing them.
Equally, his office will further put emphasis on transparency and accountability in implementing targetted objectives.
“It will be community-centred interventions that will have a mechanism to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of such an intervention,” he indicated.
Namaseb promised to ensure that government programmes are geared towards changing the lives of the people and uplifting them.
Therefore, he is responding to this challenge by creating new mechanisms to ensure that there is continuous monitoring and evaluation of programmes aimed at eradicating poverty, and improving service delivery to needy people.
Contacted for input on Namaseb’s idea, Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa refused to comment.
“You people like to put others in other people’s comments. Did comrade Imms send you to me? Why are you calling me? Please just go and finalise your story with comrade Imms. I have no comment,” she retorted.
Meanwhile, when asked on who the region will support as candidates for the top four positions at the upcoming Swapo congress, Namaseb said the ruling party has a strong governance architecture through its established structures.
“As a disciplined cadre and operating within the confines of the Swapo party constitution, I am not an exception, but standing to be guided on the way forward by the leadership through the correct structures. Thus, I am not at this juncture in any position to have a preference. We need to promote unity and coherence amongst all our comrades at all times,” he stated.
However, he was quick to say all Swapo regional cadres aspiring for positions at the national level are tried and tested, with strong credentials.
His aim is furthermore to see the party being stronger at all levels. Therefore, he promised to deploy cadres who can make meaningful contributions to the national Swapo party’s political agenda.
“This will be achieved through coordination with various party structures, members, supporters and most importantly the delegates to the congress for them to support our regional candidates as we will equally extend a supporting hand to those in line with our thoughts,” Namaseb noted.
According to him, unity, inclusivity and discipline are key pillars and equalisers in everything they are doing as a party.
Therefore, his office will put enormous effort into the realisation of these key interventions.
“Without unity, there is no progress. Thus, I call upon all my regional and national party cadres, supporters and sympathisers to put their differences aside. They should bury all divisive historical issues that might have divided us in the past and rally behind the leadership to ensure that we emerge stronger, resilient and more united towards prosperity for all,” he urged.
The 59-year-old Namaseb obtained 34 out of the 66 votes cast at the regional elective conference, which took place at Otjiwarongo recently.
Namaseb replaces Susan Hikopua, who had been the Otjozondjupa Swapo coordinator since 2012.
The conference also elected Elizabeth Shinana as the information, publicity and mobilisation officer, while Patrick Xoagub retained his position as treasurer.
- Additional reporting by Nampa