Ministry of Urban and Rural Development Deputy Minister, Natalia |Goagoses said local authorities must be headlined for good deeds such as service excellence, good governance and public accountability and not for the wrong reasons.
|Goagoses said this during the opening of the 19th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Namibia Association of Local Authority Officers (NALAO) at Katima Mulilo on Wednesday. The meeting which ends Friday is held under the theme ‘The Urgency of Local Government’.
She pointed out that local authorities often make headlines for the wrong reasons such as lack of accountability for public resources entrusted to them, adverse audit opinions, infightings between councillors and administrators, and questionable or unprocedural disciplinary actions.
“Put aside political and personal differences, and work together as one team with a shared responsibility of serving the public. These actions tend to be divisive and often take the focus away from issues that matter and are in public interest. I am talking about bread and butter issues and the reason for the existence of local authorities and the government in general, namely service delivery to the people, the sovereign,” |Goagoses said, adding that divisive tendencies and self-serving interests must be rejected with the contempt they deserve.
The theme of the 2021 AGM is relevant and seeks to advance the call for improved governance, organisational performance and responsive service delivery, adding that local authorities are on the frontline of sustainable development issues while the realisation of sustainable development goals demands more responsive and effective governance and team work.
“Notable are the goals relating to land and housing delivery, proper sanitation and the upgrading of informal settlements. NALAO made it a practice to include councillors in its annual meetings and it is my hope that this forum will explore ways to build consensus and foster mutual understanding and stronger collaboration between administrative and political leadership at the local level,” she said.
|Goagoses also vowed that Central Government through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development will continue to support the good efforts of local authorities within the means and resources at its disposal. At the same time, she said, there will be greater accountability on the part of local authorities as well as strategic plans and performance measurements that are aligned to national plans and performance indicators.
Source: Namibia Press Agency