Martin Endjala
The first week of the regional visits of the chairperson of the National Council (NC) Lukas Sinimbo Muha that started on 14th February has been described as productive and fruitful.
Tousy Namiseb, the Secretary of the National Council says the engagements were educational and the communities visited were happy with being briefed about the role of the council as part of the parliament and the law making process.
Among the issues raised by the communities during the dialogue with the chairperson at Okakarara, Namiseb said, were the dilapidated sports infrastructure, homelessness, youth unemployment, bad roads and the need to recognise more traditional authorities by the government. The public participation in the law-making process was also explained thoroughly, Namiseb added.
The representatives of the Kambazembi Royal House of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority, proposed that the council of traditional authority office in Windhoek be used optimally by selecting two representatives each from the recognized traditional authority and permanently station them at the Windhoek head office in order to be the focal person between their respective traditional authorities and the government.
The yearly traditional authority meeting should also be held more frequently to attend to pertinent matters timeously, the traditional authority representative said during the consultations, Namiseb informed the Windhoek Observer..
The Chairperson was sorely disappointed with the state of the Okakarara sports field and culture center that are in deplorable condition, lamenting that during his youth the facilities were in a pristine condition.
Muha’s delegation thereafter visited two economic mainstays in the Otjozondjupa Region – B2Gold and the Cheetah Cement factory.
Muha’s main purpose was to familiarize himself with the economic activities in the region and gain a better understanding of the various processes that are involved in gold mining and cement production, Namiseb explained.
Learners from the Okakarara Secondary School and the Waterberg Junior Secondary School along with youth leaders, gathered at the Pamue Community Hall in the evening to engage in the role of the legislature (Parliament). Chief among the information shared was the separation of powers as guaranteed in the constitution that clearly defines the responsibilities of the three organs of State, the Judiciary,
Executive and the Legislature. The second week of the outreach programme started today, 21 February to 25th February 2022 in the Kavango East Region.
The regional visits are part of the chairperson’s responsibilities to take parliament to the people and widely inform the people about the role, functions and mandates of the National Council.
