Africa-Press – Namibia. PRIME minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila says service delivery and development is stagnating in regions led by the Landless Peoples’ Movement (LPM) due to infighting among governors, regional councils and local authorities.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila made these remarks on Monday at Keetmanshoop at a meeting with the //Kharas regional leadership.
The //Kharas Regional Council was providing feedback on government-funded capital projects worth over N$500 million which have been left incomplete due to a lack of funding, legal issues between the government and contractors, as well as ministries.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the Hardap, //Kharas and Erongo regions have the worst service delivery.
She said this is because the different organs of the state within the executive are not united and is silencing the voices of governors.
“//Kharas is the only region which has not hosted a state of the region address for the past two years and the governor has to create a different platform outside of the regional council to provide feedback to the nation,” she said.
She said she visited the Hardap region earlier this week, “where people are planning to sabotage the hosting of the state of the region address also”.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said if regions that are led by opposition parties silence the voice of the president they cannot expect the organs of the state to function properly.
“We cannot progress. Development dies, and that is exactly what is happening in these three regions, even though Erongo is improving now. These are the worst regions,” the prime minister said.
She said most of the developmental challenges experienced in the regions can be solved if leaders speak to one another.
“Patience has its limits. A hungry person is an angry person. At that point the community does not care whether you are prime minister, chairperson of the regional council, or a governor.
“I think there is a mistaken view among leading opposition parties that Namibia is a federal state and that the regions where they hold positions in the regional council are their little countries to do as they like,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
Also speaking at the occasion the LPM chairperson of the //Kharas Regional Council, Joseph Isaak, said it is unfortunate that the prime minister is responding to the issue about the state of the region address after considering //Kharas governor Aletha Frederick’s viewpoint only.
“I am so disappointed in the prime minister based on the position she holds not to ask for all sides of the coin before reacting. There are reasons, such as the LPM councillors camping in front of the governors office to give our own children entry-level jobs and not only to the struggle kids.
“I was arrested for that, and the trial continues,” Isaak said.
Isaak said the LPM-led regional council is abiding by the law, and is executing its mandate as elected by the people of the region who have lost faith in Swapo.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila made these remarks on Monday at Keetmanshoop at a meeting with the //Kharas regional leadership.
The //Kharas Regional Council was providing feedback on government-funded capital projects worth over N$500 million which have been left incomplete due to a lack of funding, legal issues between the government and contractors, as well as ministries.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the Hardap, //Kharas and Erongo regions have the worst service delivery.
She said this is because the different organs of the state within the executive are not united and is silencing the voices of governors.
“//Kharas is the only region which has not hosted a state of the region address for the past two years and the governor has to create a different platform outside of the regional council to provide feedback to the nation,” she said.
She said she visited the Hardap region earlier this week, “where people are planning to sabotage the hosting of the state of the region address also”.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said if regions that are led by opposition parties silence the voice of the president they cannot expect the organs of the state to function properly.
“We cannot progress. Development dies, and that is exactly what is happening in these three regions, even though Erongo is improving now. These are the worst regions,” the prime minister said.
She said most of the developmental challenges experienced in the regions can be solved if leaders speak to one another.
“Patience has its limits. A hungry person is an angry person. At that point the community does not care whether you are prime minister, chairperson of the regional council, or a governor.
“I think there is a mistaken view among leading opposition parties that Namibia is a federal state and that the regions where they hold positions in the regional council are their little countries to do as they like,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
Also speaking at the occasion the LPM chairperson of the //Kharas Regional Council, Joseph Isaak, said it is unfortunate that the prime minister is responding to the issue about the state of the region address after considering //Kharas governor Aletha Frederick’s viewpoint only.
“I am so disappointed in the prime minister based on the position she holds not to ask for all sides of the coin before reacting. There are reasons, such as the LPM councillors camping in front of the governors office to give our own children entry-level jobs and not only to the struggle kids.
“I was arrested for that, and the trial continues,” Isaak said.
Isaak said the LPM-led regional council is abiding by the law, and is executing its mandate as elected by the people of the region who have lost faith in Swapo.
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