Waiting for the Minister

FRUSTRATION was rife at the launch of the revamped Waterberg Camp on Friday, when the Minister of Environment arrived more than three hours late.

At present, Parliament sits in the morning on Fridays, but instead of delegating his deputy, Leon Jooste, to officiate at the ceremony on his behalf, Minister Willem Konjore kept around 70 guests waiting and wondering for hours. According the programme, the event was supposed to start at 12h00.Konjore flew in after 15h00.”Ministers are not late, they are only delayed,” he said.During the long wait, many people were worried whether the Minister would ever turn up, despite assurances that he would.After a string of songs and traditional dances to entertain the waiting crowd, the Uukumwe Traditional Dance Group was tired and fell silent.Because everything started late, some guests had to overnight at the resort at the NWR’s expense.They felt it was too risky to drive back to Windhoek at night.According the programme, the event was supposed to start at 12h00.Konjore flew in after 15h00.”Ministers are not late, they are only delayed,” he said.During the long wait, many people were worried whether the Minister would ever turn up, despite assurances that he would.After a string of songs and traditional dances to entertain the waiting crowd, the Uukumwe Traditional Dance Group was tired and fell silent.Because everything started late, some guests had to overnight at the resort at the NWR’s expense.They felt it was too risky to drive back to Windhoek at night.