Erongo governor says state of region is unacceptable

NEVILLE Andre, governor of the Erongo region, yesterday gave his first state of the region address (SORA) at a very empty Swakopmund municipal chamber due to social distancing measures.

Andre gave an account of the number of issues raised at the town hall meeting by president Hage Geingob on 18 July last year.

He also discussed activities undertaken during the 2019/2020 financial year by the Erongo Regional Council, local authorities, ministries and agencies.

Andre expressed his disappointment in the lack of service delivery, especially with regards to housing.

“We have to take a brutally honest look around us . . . the shacks the people are still living in. I take responsibility as governor for all these gaps and want to acknowledge with humility . . . I will ensure that we do better in responding and delivering to meet the needs of our people,” he said.

He requested the region’s leadership to relook approaches to national development programmes – especially against the background of the current pandemic.

Andre said the virus has exposed and significantly exacerbated the existing socio-economic realities in the region.

As a non-industrialised economy, the region has not been able to create employment.

“As a region, the inefficiencies in our systems have been exposed by Covid-19. Now we are trying to get things done hurriedly that should have been done a long time ago. This is unacceptable . . ,” he said.

No motions were tabled at the SORA.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.