Setting Targets For PSes

THANKS Mr President for telling it as it is. But, what a contradiction and hypocrisy! How can we as a Nation heap praise on the PS, who is probably the main culprit for being out of office for most the time, while at the same entreating PSs to be in charge of and manage the activities of their ministries more effectively.

Again, assigning or nominating the same PS to head the Flood Emergency in the central north, which is not the core function of his ministry, since this can best be handled by the Emergency Management Unit (EMU) in the Office of the Prime Minister, further negated, neglected and compromised the workings of his ministry. Nothing to be proud about! While there is no denial about the government’s strenuous effort in reducing the lost of life and damage to property, some damning reports highlighted serious short-comings in the flood operation which are as follows: congestion and lack of appropriate ablution facilities, unhygienic conditions leading to outbreak of diseases, uncoordinated relocation of victims, forcing some to use their own transportation, and lack of a clear comprehensive rehabilitation plan needed to provide a new durable livelihood strategy for the victims. Nothing to be excited about!
Can anyone tell the Nation what concrete medium or long-term measures have now been put in place to mitigate or address the plight of flood victims? It appears that we will be caught napping or unprepared as usual come the next rain season. Nothing to be complacent about!
On the tender for remapping and rezoning Oshakati to make the town less flood prone, involving millions of Namibia Dollars, what is the logic of awarding such a tender to a distant international Belgian company with no history of the country and region, while leaving out South African companies with long involvement in the area and a Namibian Black Empowerment component. This leaves much to be desired! To set the records right, the key /core functions for the current PS of MRLGGRD are as follows:
* ensure the long awaited proclamation of Oranjemund, Rosh Pinah and Otjinene;
* facilitate the design of comprehensive Revenue/ Income Generating Plans for dying small towns such as Karibib, Otavi, Gibeon, etc.
* implement the Trust Fund for Regional Development in a more transparent manner to ensure fairness in resource allocation
* review/reform the Regional and Local Authority and Traditional Authority Acts to meet the new realities and challenges
* ensure that millions of Namibian Dollars budgeted for the sanitation programme countrywide is spent by the end of the financial year,
* address housing backlog and reducing poverty through employment creation, finalise and implement the much talked about Rural Development agenda and strategy
* build the capacity of the Regional Councils through a comprehensive Decentralisation Action Plan for the regions to be able to absorb and thus take ownership of decentralised functions,
* finalise and align the long-awaited ministerial Strategic Plan to the Rural Development Policy and Performance Management Systems, and provide guidance and leadership to the staff.
Not managing floods! All the above activities have not yet been addressed and one wonders where our priority lies and who decides when certain things should happen. Certainly, all the above tasks can be easily achieved if the Office of the Prime Minister enters into Performance Agreements (contracts) with the Accounting Officers and this will also go long way in ensuring that PSes are not removed from their core functions for more that (2) months, as was the case with the flood operation.
Please Mr. President instruct the Office of the Prime Minister to set clear performance targets/key result areas for PSes, for us to be able to judge whether we are getting value for our money or not! This office must also endeavour to strength the capacity of the regions, that is Regional Emergency Management Units (REMUs) to be able to deal effectively with disasters and emergencies, rather than relying mostly on staff from central government.
Concerned Citizen
Via e-mail
Note: Name and address provided – Ed