Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Katima Mulilo Urban Constituency councillor, Kennedy Simasiku said the Zambezi Regional Council is on autopilot because the leadership has gone awol.
He said that the council urgently needs to address various challenges faced by the community.
In a notice of questions dated 9 May seen by the Windhoek Observer, Simasiku planned to ask Council Management Committee chairperson, Matengu Simushi why the council in 2023 only had four meetings out of 12.
Simasiku claims that the trend continued into this year, as there has only been one meeting so far.
He accused the chairperson and his deputy of neglecting to convene meetings in accordance with the Regional Council Act 22, citing the absence of a meeting to provide me with an opportunity to pose his questions.
“Honourable chairperson, the Zambezi regional council cannot afford to be on autopilot, there are a lot of developmental areas like the green scheme, roads, water, health, drought, and overall well-being of our community that require serious attention through leadership. And it is this leadership that has been awol at the moment, and this must be corrected without fail,” stressed Simasiku.
He stated that the state of affairs of the council of the council has not been desirable for some time now, and it is a position every councillor is aware of, as there have been critical decisions and matters that required the council’s approval or ought to have been consulted. But worryingly, the council’s authority has continuously been stripped, if not ignored.
“It must be noted that the chairperson and his management committee are expected to consult the council on any decision they so hope to implement, and any such proposal must be reported, agreed upon, and approved by the council for such a decision to come into force. This view is supported by Section 18A(e) of the Regional Council Act 22 of 1992,” he said.
Simasiku further stressed that the state of affairs has rendered the council dysfunctional. He plans to ask the council what they plan to achieve in 2024 and, if there are any planned activities, why they are not brought forward for the council to deliberate on.
“What key decisions has MC deliberated on since February 2024, and were they implemented? If none, who should take the blame for such an undesirable state of affairs? Council awaits feedback on its decisions taken in December 2023 regarding senior staff members accused of corruption, and MC has yet to provide feedback,” said Simasiku.
When contacted for a comment, Shimushi said he was busy with other people.
The Windhoek Observer learned that Shimushi was on the road out of the region, and the council was not aware of his trip.
Humfrey Divai confirmed that this year the council held only one meeting to discuss the budget.
“We are lacking the resources to deliver services to the people because the council does not sit to deliberate on resolutions. People received drought relief food late. We have missed out on sponsorships and funds that were coming to the region, but we have not sat to discuss matters,” he said.
