RUNDU – The Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) has elected new commissioners. The network’s two-day event, which started on Thursday in Rundu, also decided on a strategy to address the issue of street kids countrywide.
REFELA on Friday elected Bella Kavendji of Arandis Town Council in the Erongo region, as vice president. The meeting also elected 14 commissioners to represent the needs of the 14 regions.
Queen Kamati from City of Windhoek was elected as treasurer while Juliane Ndeunyema from Maltahöhe Village Council was elected as an executive member. Petra-Salomi Witbooi from Leonardville Village Council was also elected as executive member. “It was a successful meeting where we looked at our strategic plan for 2022 to 2024,” said the Association for Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN) president Hilde Jesaya, who facilitated the meeting.
Jesaya said the election was conducted late as it was supposed to be a five-year term but because of Covid-19, the ALAN congress could not take place and then this REFELA meeting could also not take place before the ALAN congress.
“So, that is why now we are here to elect the office bearers for the remaining three years. The meeting has elected a very energetic vice president and I’m really hopeful that she will take REFELA very far and one of the strategies that we are having is that we want to reduce or remove kids from the streets,’’ said the ALAN president
“I humbly accept the position of vice president in the REFELA association to work closely with the commissioners that are representing their different regions. We are going to drive the agenda or maybe ensure that the strategies that we have come up with are adhered to and are mainstreamed within our localities,” said the newly elected vice president Kavendji.
“I would urge all local authority councillors and all members that have been together with us during this congress to work together and make sure that in everything we do, we ensure that the sensitivity of gender is adhered to within our local authorities,’’ she noted. Kavendji appealed for cooperation and input from fellow REFELA members to make sure they take care of strategies for instance the issues of children, violence against women. This will guarantee that they are all in a safe environment within the respective local authorities.
“As we go back to our respective regions, we should drive the agenda of women in our local authorities, where leadership is needed, we women must be able to step in and say let’s take hands and fight GBV,” she said.