Local authorities told to set aside political differences

Minister of urban and rural development Erastus Uutoni has urged local authority leaders to set aside their political differences in meetings and to serve their communities.

Uutoni made this call on Wednesday at the official handover of infrastructure services to the Outapi Town Council for the financial year 2023/24 at Outapi.

The services include water, sewerage and electricity infrastructure, which was constructed at five informal settlements of Oukwa-Wananyanga, Okayekongwe, Okakwaka-Nakale, Nakayale Extension 2 and Tobias Hainyeko at a cost of N$11 million.

“I continue to urge all local authority councillors to shelve your political hats outside of the council’s gates and doors and put aside your political differences when in meetings for the interest and sake of our communities,” Uutoni said.

He said it is the “only way” that service delivery will emerge and take centre stage.

“Let us, therefore, continue to do everything in our power to do our work as per the expectations of the community and to ensure direct and continuous engagements with members of the community on matters of local economic development,” he said.

Uutoni also voiced his frustration with some local authority councillors who he said are failing to apply the principles and practices they learned during their induction.

He said some councillors have forgotten their induction training and are seen protesting with the public for better services, instead of addressing the issues within their own local authorities and serving the people who elected them.

“Who do you expect to solve the problems faced by your local authorities when you are creating the problem? Not only them, I am just telling everyone. Those whom I have inducted, they are making my patience grow slim,” he said.

He added: “Now they are inviting me to come and intervene. Intervene how? You are elected to solve the problems of the community, now you want Uutoni to come and solve your problem? My message to them is that my patience is growing very slim.”