HILLSIDE FARMYARD – Swapo secretary general (SG) Sophia Shaningwa says the electorate could lose confidence in the ruling party if communities do not receive the services they deserve.
She delivered this message to political leaders and supporters during a workshop for the party’s //Kharas regional council and local authority councillors held last weekend at a farm outside Keetmanshoop.
“Our people are not interested in political rhetoric, but want to see affordable houses, clean running water from taps, electricity in their homes, functional clinics in their villages, and real opportunities for youth employment and business growth in their localities,” she said.
In light of this, the politician called on comrades and those deployed in leadership positions to embrace service delivery with urgency, community engagement with sincerity, and inclusive leadership with integrity.
“Listen to the people, consult widely and prioritise the most vulnerable,” she advised those present.
The SG further urged councillors to work hand-in-hand with party structures, traditional leaders, civil society organisations supportive of government, as well as the private sector, to accelerate development.
She also reminded councillors that the offices they hold are the primary points of contact between communities and government.
“They are not distant administrative bodies, but the engines of service delivery and the foundation of inclusive development in every community across our vast //Kharas region,” Shaningwa said.
Turning to the workshop itself, she emphasised that it would provide a platform to sharpen regional council and local authority councillors’ understanding of their mandates.
“The knowledge and resolve you are going to gain here must be taken back to every constituency, municipality, town council, village and settlement in the //Kharas region,” she instructed.
Shaningwa concluded by urging participants to reaffirm their commitment to the Swapo manifesto, saying the party remains a trusted organisation committed to delivering for all Namibians.
Welcoming delegates, Swapo Party //Kharas regional coordinator Matheus Mumbala said the region was deeply encouraged by the SG’s leadership and steadfast support.
“Her presence is not only symbolic, but a living testimony to Swapo’s unity and resilience,” he said.
Mumbala explained that the aim of the workshop was to equip deployed cadres with the knowledge and skills necessary to balance their responsibilities in government with their duties to the party.
In conclusion, he called on the SG and participants to use the workshop as a platform to renew their collective commitment to Swapo values, strengthen unity, and ensure deployed cadres are fully prepared to deliver on the promises of the party manifesto.