Rundu
Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry John Mutorwa told regional and local authority leaders to hold fewer meetings and spend more time implementing government projects and programmes.
He says ideally 30 percent of the time available in a year can be used for meetings and planning, but 70 percent should be about the practical implementation of government projects and programmes.
Mutorwa made the remarks in his capacity as chairperson of the national leaders assigned to Kavango East Region at a consultative planning meeting in Rundu on Saturday, which he chaired.
He said if the local leaders and senior government officials spend more time on planning there would be less progress on the ground and people would say they are doing nothing, as it would delay implementation.
“People will forget about what we told them, or preached to them, but they will not forget the visible projects that the government built for them and must build, for both the now, but also for the future, the entire nation and visitors to our country,” he said.
He urged regional councillors for Kavango East to know their people and their needs well, saying the people are not demanding the impossible.
“In our respective constituencies and local authorities’ areas of jurisdiction, people are not demanding the impossible from their government. People are not unreasonable in their demands,” Mutorwa stressed.
He called on local leaders to interact more closely with the residents of their constituencies: “Talk with them and not about them!”
“Have elected committees in your constituencies and in the different parts of your local authority areas. Plan together. Prioritise developmental projects in a transparent, fair, just and democratic manner.”
“I’m not here to preach to you. I’m also not here to lecture you about what your mandate is.
“If you doubt your mandate: read the relevant laws that established the institution that you are serving, starting with the country’s Constitution, (party) manifestos and very importantly go back to the electorate.
“They will remind you about what you – and I – promised them, which eventually convinced them to vote for you, for me and for the Swapo Party of Namibia,” he stated.
Mutorwa also advised the regional and local authority councillors to work closely together and to plan jointly for better results, saying that joint planning is important and that the country is divided into regions for administrative purposes only.
“There is nothing that prevents you as governor of Kavango East and governor of Kavango West to come together and compare notes.
“There’s nothing that prevents the Kavango East Regional Council at appropriate times to get in touch with your colleagues from the other regions and plan certain projects together.
“There is nothing wrong with Rundu Town Council and the town council of Nkurenkuru checking what the other one is doing and see how they can assist each other,” he said.