Chairperson of the Kavango East Regional Council, Damian Maghambayi said they decided to review their 2017-2022 Strategic Plan in Otjiwarongo to avoid ‘potential disturbances’ in Rundu or the region.

The regional councillors have converged in Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa this week to review the 2017-2022 Strategic Plan which is expected to end in March next year.

“After this process the regional council will develop its 2022-2027 blueprint,” Maghambayi told Nampa in an interview on Thursday.

He said the strategic plan has been developed for a five-year period to serve as a management tool and a guide to direct the council’s activities and to monitor its overall performance.

He said one of the challenges observed during the period under review especially in 2020 and 2021 is the coronavirus outbreak which hampered development in many parts of the region.

Other challenges are late budget reviews particularly from the line ministry and a slow pace of growth or development in certain villages such as Muroro and Ndiyona.

Asked whether conducting the review in Otjiwarongo is not a waste of taxpayers’ money, Maghambayi said they opted to travel to get away from potential disturbances in order to focus on the work at hand.

“I can assure you if this meeting was held in Rundu, many of us would be distracted and will not give the review process our undivided attention that it needs,” he said.

He said conducting it in Rundu would mean they would still have to attend to other equally pressing matters, hence they decided to work outside of the region to focus on the strategic plan.

On his part, Rundu Rural Constituency Councillor Paulus Mbangu said he understands why travel outside the region could be problematic, adding that the councillors should take this as a lesson learnt and understand that when it comes to investment opportunities they should always put the region and its people first.

Meanwhile he called on the leadership in their line ministry to use scientific indicators when it comes to the allocation of the budget to the region which is one of the poorest.

The review meeting which started on Monday will end on Friday.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency