Africa-Press – Namibia. URBAN and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni has challenged local authority councillors to stop boardroom fights and wasting time on social media and rather focus on serving the electorate.
Uutoni made the remarks recently when he handed over 195 houses built by the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, and the groundbreaking ceremony of 100 houses to be built under the Build Together programme.
“If we are not building our country, nobody will do it for us. If you are just on your phone critiquing everything or you are busy on social media talking about weak politics, you are not doing anything,” Uutoni said.
“This politics of boardroom fights should stop. Concentrate on development. Some councils are not developing because councillors are busy fighting old politics. You are showing muscles but the community has lost hope in you.
“You think you will be at that position forever? Just like me, today I am talking here as minister, tomorrow there will be a different person. You will go,” he cautioned.
Uutoni also took aim at the media for allegedly concentrating on negative things.
“Houses are there. There were not houses here. Modern houses. Houses are there and they are a lot. They are shining,” Uutoni said.
Uutoni said recently he handed over more than 200 plots at Aussenkehr in the south, as well as 164 houses at Kongola in the Zambezi region. This, he believes, demonstrates his ministry’s commitment to provide housing.
He appealed to local authorities to emulate Oshakati in terms of housing delivery. He said the Oshakati Town Council is leading all local authorities across the country in terms of housing delivery.
“Whoever does not want to recognise what Oshakati Town Council is doing, there is something wrong with them,” he said.
He added that some councillors are afraid to talk to residents to explain their vision, and some disrespect elders when they engage them to give up their land as towns extend their boundaries for development purposes.
He also thanked Oshakati for relocating residents of the Kalaula and Sky locations, to Oshoopala, where residents received free plots with water and electricity.
“I am also informed that you are busy with the relocation of 161 residents from Oshoopala location. This is so massive. This is what we want to see everywhere in Namibia.”
Speaking at the same event, Oshakati mayor Leonard Hango said his dream is to see Oshakati with fewer or no informal settlements in five years time.
“It pains me to see residents living in informal settlements, with little or no access to proper shelter, sanitation, water and other services,” he said.
Hango said in 2019 the Oshakati Town Council allocated 300 plots to the Shack Dwellers Federation. So far, 195 beneficiaries have finished building their houses.
Also speaking at the same event, Oshana governor Elia Irimari said the government is committed to meeting the challenges of the future.
He thanked the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development for financing 172 houses, as well as Standard Bank for financing 23 of the 195 houses.
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