Sostenus Wilherm
Rundu Town Council has unanimously adopted a motion seeking to establish a Rundu People’s Assembly (RPA) and Rundu Youth Advisory Council (RYAC), in a move aimed at giving residents and young people a more permanent role in municipal decision-making.
The motion, introduced by Rundu Town Council councillor Kufuna Patrick Masonde, was adopted without objection and has now been referred to the management committee for further consideration and the formulation of recommendations towards implementation.
Masonde told the Windhoek Observer that the initiative was driven by concerns that many residents, particularly those living in neglected neighbourhoods and informal settlements, do not have sufficiently structured and permanent platforms through which their concerns can reach municipal authorities.
“The motion was prompted by what I identified as a serious gap between the residents of Rundu and the institutions responsible for making decisions that directly affect their daily lives,” Masonde said.
He said the proposed structures are intended to address what he described as administrative isolation and a growing perception among communities that they are not adequately heard in decisions affecting their livelihoods and living conditions.
According to Masonde, issues such as municipal budgeting and service delivery require stronger grassroots involvement, while young people face challenges, including unemployment and institutional neglect.
He said young people are often engaged during election periods but are not consistently given platforms to participate in governance between elections.
“The RPA and RYAC are therefore intended to create permanent channels through which residents and young people can participate meaningfully in the affairs of the town council, rather than only being consulted occasionally,” Masonde said.
The RPA is proposed as a permanent watchdog and consultative platform through which residents can raise concerns and influence municipal priorities, while the RYAC would provide young people with a structured avenue to contribute to discussions concerning the future of Rundu.
Masonde said the youth structure would seek representation from youth organisations, student representative councils, youth-led civil society organisations, young people from townships and informal settlements, young entrepreneurs and informal traders, digital innovators and creatives.
The proposal also makes provision for young people with disabilities and young women leaders.
Eligible members would be young residents between 18 and 35 who are legal residents of Rundu, committed to voluntary community development and able to demonstrate integrity without partisan gatekeeping.
Masonde stressed that the structures should not become extensions of political parties or platforms controlled by a small group.
“The principle behind the motion is that these structures must not become platforms dominated by a particular political party, organisation or small group of individuals. They must reflect the diversity of Rundu,” he said.
The proposed framework would also introduce an Annual People’s Parliament, where council leadership would engage residents directly and account for its performance, as well as quarterly ward engagements where councillors would return to their respective communities to hear concerns.
Masonde emphasised that neither the RPA nor the RYAC would replace the statutory authority of the town council.
“They are intended to strengthen democratic participation and ensure that council decisions are better informed by the people affected by those decisions,” he said.
Following the unanimous adoption, the immediate responsibility now shifts to the management committee and council administration.
The motion calls on the chief executive officer to produce a comprehensive operational framework within 90 days, setting out how the two structures will function.
Masonde said implementation should make use of existing municipal facilities, public spaces and communication platforms to avoid creating an expensive bureaucracy.
He said members would initially serve voluntarily and would not receive salaries, sitting allowances or employment benefits unless such expenditure is approved through the normal budgeting process.
Future projects could potentially be supported through council-approved budgets, government grants, development partners, corporate sponsorships and donor funding.
Masonde said the initiative would therefore not be intended to create another costly municipal structure, but rather to use existing resources more intelligently while establishing a community-driven mechanism.
He said the success of the initiative would ultimately depend on whether it produces tangible changes in how residents interact with the council.
“The real test will be whether residents begin to have a meaningful and consistent voice in municipal affairs,” Masonde said.
He said success should be measured by the frequency of community engagements, whether residents’ concerns reach council, whether councillors conduct quarterly ward engagements and whether the Annual People’s Parliament provides a genuine accountability platform.
Masonde said the initiative is about changing how residents participate in the governance of Rundu and ensuring that young people are treated as active stakeholders rather than spectators.
“The RPA and RYAC are not about creating structures for the sake of creating structures. They are about addressing a fundamental democratic question: How do we ensure that the people of Rundu have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their lives?” he said.
Masonde said residents should not only be consulted during elections or when a particular crisis emerges, but should have permanent, structured and meaningful opportunities to engage with their local authority.
“The unanimous adoption of the motion is an important first step. The next challenge is implementation, and I believe the people of Rundu will judge this initiative by its ability to translate participation into tangible accountability, responsiveness and better municipal governance,” he said.
