Officiating at the first ordinary meeting of the Third Karas Regional Council at Keetmanshoop yesterday, Witbooi said prices paid at auctions for agricultural produce were unfair and meagre and that they bordered on "exploitation".

The Deputy PM urged Karas regional councillors to implement a regulatory legal framework, in consultation with communal farmers, to ensure fair market prices for the agriculture sector.

Witbooi strongly condemned "lip service" in the empowerment of the majority of Namibians.

"When we talk about empowerment, we mean business, because we know the very dire and difficult poverty inflicted upon our people", he said.

"We want our people to take ownership and benefit from their nation's economic endowments, " he said.

The Deputy PM further called upon regional council's to embark upon basic training sessions for councillors in matters of trade, economics international relations, diplomacy and policymaking and implementation.

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