Councillors ‘flee’ criticism

OSHANA regional councillors boycotted a training workshop arranged by the Office of the Prime Minister because it was to be presented by wellknown political analyst Dr Joseph Diescho.

Regional Governor Klemens Kashuupulwa claimed at a press conference at Oshakati that the regional government officials stayed away from the workshop because there was “no proper consultation between the Office of the Prime Minister and the Regional Council”. In the next breath he charged it was because Diescho was too critical for their liking.Kashuupulwa claimed that Diescho was “unjustifiably” critical of Government and to have someone like him present the workshop could open a political Pandora’s box.The boycott sparked a heated public debate on National Radio and the Oshiwambo Service of the NBC.Kashuupulwa said on Thursday that the Deputy Director of Management Services in the Office of the Prime Minister informed his office of the workshop in December, but he was only informed late in January that Dr Diescho would be the facilitator.He said the Regional Council decided on January 30 that it could not accept Diescho’s services because he had been known to criticise the Swapo-led Government and its leaders “in an unjustifiable manner”.The workshop was scheduled to take place on February 1 and 2.”Regional councillors are guided by the policies and programmes of the central Government and it is therefore a fallacy to expect [them] to speak out against Government policies and programmes which they are part of, as regional councillors are merely extensions of government at the regional level.It is therefore within our power and mandate to reject any political shenanigans that want to bring anarchy and confusion to our region,” Kashuupulwa told the press conference.”We hereby wish to make it categorically clear that the resolution of Oshana Regional Council taken at the first ordinary council meeting on 30 January 2007 objecting to the Directorate of Management Services’ hand-picked consultant without prior consultation with the Regional Council is devoid of any alternative and still stands,” the Governor said.He condemned people who criticised the decision in the media as “frantic prophets of doom masquerading as political prostitutes on behalf of the feeble main opposition”.”Political propaganda by short-sighted individuals aimed at tarnishing the good name of targeted Swapo Party and Government leaders and cowardly hiding behind the Directorate of Management Services of the Office of the Prime Minister shall not make a dent or change, to win the hearts and minds of patriotic Namibians to join the feeble opposition in this country,” Kashuupulwa said.In the next breath he charged it was because Diescho was too critical for their liking.Kashuupulwa claimed that Diescho was “unjustifiably” critical of Government and to have someone like him present the workshop could open a political Pandora’s box.The boycott sparked a heated public debate on National Radio and the Oshiwambo Service of the NBC.Kashuupulwa said on Thursday that the Deputy Director of Management Services in the Office of the Prime Minister informed his office of the workshop in December, but he was only informed late in January that Dr Diescho would be the facilitator. He said the Regional Council decided on January 30 that it could not accept Diescho’s services because he had been known to criticise the Swapo-led Government and its leaders “in an unjustifiable manner”.The workshop was scheduled to take place on February 1 and 2.”Regional councillors are guided by the policies and programmes of the central Government and it is therefore a fallacy to expect [them] to speak out against Government policies and programmes which they are part of, as regional councillors are merely extensions of government at the regional level.It is therefore within our power and mandate to reject any political shenanigans that want to bring anarchy and confusion to our region,” Kashuupulwa told the press conference.”We hereby wish to make it categorically clear that the resolution of Oshana Regional Council taken at the first ordinary council meeting on 30 January 2007 objecting to the Directorate of Management Services’ hand-picked consultant without prior consultation with the Regional Council is devoid of any alternative and still stands,” the Governor said.He condemned people who criticised the decision in the media as “frantic prophets of doom masquerading as political prostitutes on behalf of the feeble main opposition”.”Political propaganda by short-sighted individuals aimed at tarnishing the good name of targeted Swapo Party and Government leaders and cowardly hiding behind the Directorate of Management Services of the Office of the Prime Minister shall not make a dent or change, to win the hearts and minds of patriotic Namibians to join the feeble opposition in this country,” Kashuupulwa said.