Delivery And Transparency

THE policy for socio-economic development through local councils and our right to information was up to now at least in the Otjozondjupa Region not delivering. One of the main reasons is the fact that legislation for the composition of the “Constituency Development Committees [CDC]” does not include the private sector and the SMEs.

Various letters to the Ministry of Regional and Local Governement, Housing and Rural Development in this regard since 2010 were simply ignored .
My request to the Regional Councillor to read the minutes of the CDC meetings were for years refused, because I was not a “stakeholder”! This complaint was also not taken up by the governor and the concerned ministry.
At least the following statement from the Office of the Ombudsman, dated 22 March 2013, says: “It is our informed opinion that regardless whether you are a member of the CDC or not, you are entitled to access the minutes.”
In a separate case an inspectorate in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare refused me access to their annual report. This is a public document and should be made available in the office in Grootfontein.
Let us take the Prime Minister by his words on “public service delivery” and, most of all, on “transparency”.

Uwe Rathmann
Grootfontein

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