Open Letter To Karas Regional Council

IN recent newspaper articles we read about the spending of almost N$100 000 for a trip to Asia by our leaders.

At what cost are we allowing the elected leaders to waste our scant resources? They could have used the money instead to establish much-needed development and jobs. What developments have happened in the Karas Region for the past 17 years? How much money has been wasted at towns like Warmbad and Noordoewer? N$600 000 overspent on the Warmbad Hot Springs project? My next concern is the building of the road at Noordoewer settlement.What is the cost of the road? Which tender procedures have been followed? In which newspaper has this tender been advertised? What happened with the money that was allocated for the building of the soccer stadium at Noordoewer? What happened with the houses that have been built at Noordoewer – why did the project stop? Is there nepotism in the allocation of residential and business plots at Noordoewer? Why are plots allocated by only one person? Why it is that one family group are allocated plots next to each other? Why do people who are resident in South Africa still have plots in this settlement? It is time that the elected leaders are held accountable for all their actions.How many of our youth still trust our leaders? The absence of transparency can lead to corrupt practices.Let the council members explain clearly to all the stakeholders what exactly is going to happen in terms of development in the biggest, but at the same time the poorest and least developed region in Namibia.#Gami-!nub, Via e-mail SAA Not Up To Scratch WHEN, on October 30 2007, I took the morning flight from Cape Town to Windhoek booked at South African Airways, I found to my surprise that we flew with a very small plane belonging to South African Express.In Windhoek, my suitcase did not arrive.At the luggage claim I learned to my even greater surprise that my suitcase, together with that of other passengers, had been left in Cape Town though it weighed only 16 kg; it would arrive with the next flight.I’m still waiting for it.Countless phone calls to Windhoek and Cape Town brought the news that my suitcase had possibly gone to Johannesburg and might be in China or somewhere now.But what really aggravated the affair was the claim of one Cape Town airport SAA manager that they were not really responsible because the flight had been carried out by South African Express.Well, nobody is responsible.Nobody cares.Is this the service of an airline that was once famous for its reliability? Peter von Garnier PO Box 272 SwakopmundWhat developments have happened in the Karas Region for the past 17 years? How much money has been wasted at towns like Warmbad and Noordoewer? N$600 000 overspent on the Warmbad Hot Springs project? My next concern is the building of the road at Noordoewer settlement.What is the cost of the road? Which tender procedures have been followed? In which newspaper has this tender been advertised? What happened with the money that was allocated for the building of the soccer stadium at Noordoewer? What happened with the houses that have been built at Noordoewer – why did the project stop? Is there nepotism in the allocation of residential and business plots at Noordoewer? Why are plots allocated by only one person? Why it is that one family group are allocated plots next to each other? Why do people who are resident in South Africa still have plots in this settlement? It is time that the elected leaders are held accountable for all their actions.How many of our youth still trust our leaders? The absence of transparency can lead to corrupt practices.Let the council members explain clearly to all the stakeholders what exactly is going to happen in terms of development in the biggest, but at the same time the poorest and least developed region in Namibia.#Gami-!nub, Via e-mail SAA Not Up To Scratch WHEN, on October 30 2007, I took the morning flight from Cape Town to Windhoek booked at South African Airways, I found to my surprise that we flew with a very small plane belonging to South African Express.In Windhoek, my suitcase did not arrive.At the luggage claim I learned to my even greater surprise that my suitcase, together with that of other passengers, had been left in Cape Town though it weighed only 16 kg; it would arrive with the next flight.I’m still waiting for it.Countless phone calls to Windhoek and Cape Town brought the news that my suitcase had possibly gone to Johannesburg and might be in China or somewhere now.But what really aggravated the affair was the claim of one Cape Town airport SAA manager that they were not really responsible because the flight had been carried out by South African Express.Well, nobody is responsible.Nobody cares.Is this the service of an airline that was once famous for its reliability? Peter von Garnier PO Box 272 Swakopmund