Swartbooi urges local councils to spearhead economic development

LOCAL authorities should spearhead economic development because they are the first tier of service delivery to the community.

This was Karas Governor Bernardus Swartbooi’s message to local councillors and administrative staff at a one-day consultative meeting at Keetmanshoop on Monday.Because the value and importance of local authorities have diminished, development has become fragmented and stagnated in the Karas Region, Swartbooi remarked. He advised local authorities to take ownership of planning, fund sourcing and income generation in order to become the vehicle of economic empowerment and transformation. Furthermore, Swartbooi encourage local authorities’ CEOs to adopt a business-minded approach. ‘If CEOs are not business minded then we have a big problem,’ he said. Swartbooi called for greater dedication and commitment on the part of town administrators, saying poor administration, lack of accountability and poor work ethics cannot lead to development.