Bureaucracy impedes development: Frederick

BUREAUCRACY is hampering socio-economic development at the sleepy southern village of Bethanie, says !Aman Chief Dawid Frederick.

In an interview with The Namibian, Frederick claimed the Ministry of Works is dragging its feet for the past two years to consider a request by the traditional authority to be allocated 9,7327 hectares of land intended for irrigation purposes.Frederick said the land is needed to set up vegetable, hoodia and date plantation, adding that funding was already secured for the planned plantations. However, he refused to reveal the source of funding, saying he prefers to keep it close to his chest at this stage. ‘No land, no development, therefore I am now forced to look at other alternatives to boost socio-economic development at Bethanie’ said the visibly worried Frederick. According to Frederick, Works Minister Helmut Angula was informed and provided with a proposal for the planned plantations. ‘To my disappointment, they (Ministry of Works) have not even bothered to reply,’ he added.Ministry of Works’ regional head in the Karas Region, Ferdinand //Hoeseb, acknowledged the traditional authority’s application, saying it had been forwarded to the Windhoek head office for approval. Frederick also dispelled talks doing rounds at the sleepy village about him blocking development as false. Word has it that the Ministry of Fisheries had advanced money to the traditional authority for an aquaculture project three years back.However, the project has not seen the light. ‘They (traditional authority) only dug holes for fish ponds, but since then the aquaculture project has been put on ice for reasons unknown to us,’ said a resident who refused to be named.Hitting back, Frederick said these talks are ‘politically motivated to discredit’ him.’We have not received any funding from the central Government for the aquaculture project in question. I have started the initiative on my own, and implementation thereof is on track although it’s a bit slow,’ said Frederick. Despite futile efforts to kicks-start development initiatives in proclaimed areas under his jurisdiction because of bureaucracy, Frederick said all is not doom and gloom as socio-economic driven projects on communal lands are progressing well.