Decentralisation key to progress, Mbango says
Paulus Mbangu, the sitting Rundu Rural constituency councillor, says his decision to run as an independent candidate again in the upcoming November elections is driven by persistent institutional failures and the continued marginalisation of rural communities.
In an interview with Namibian Sun this week, Mbangu said he chose to distance himself from party politics in 2019 after growing disillusioned with delays in service delivery and the centralised decision-making system that, in his view, fails the people on the ground.
“The marginalised communities are suffering. Even food rations take months to arrive because everything must be approved in Windhoek,” Mbangu said, referring specifically to the San community.
He explained that in some cases, food rations intended for October and November 2023 only arrived in February and March 2024, while the December and January rations reached the region in June.
Bring power closer to the people
Mbangu stressed that local officials are often rendered powerless due to the top-down governance model.
“The development planner here wants to assist, but has no power. Everything has to be sent to Windhoek, and that causes unnecessary delays, even with funerals,” he said.
He has consistently advocated for the decentralisation of authority to regional councils, arguing that doing so would significantly improve procurement processes and speed up service delivery.
“When we handled distribution from the region, it was faster and more efficient,” he said.
Despite going independent, Mbangu remains confident. “I’m grounded in the community. People see the work being done and understand why I took this step. I’m confident I’ll win come November,” he stated.
Mbangu will face Swapo’s Lucas Mbangu, who recently won the Rundu Rural District Conference with 56 votes against Daniel Kavura’s 50. The regional and local authority elections are scheduled for 26 November.
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In an interview with Namibian Sun this week, Mbangu said he chose to distance himself from party politics in 2019 after growing disillusioned with delays in service delivery and the centralised decision-making system that, in his view, fails the people on the ground.
“The marginalised communities are suffering. Even food rations take months to arrive because everything must be approved in Windhoek,” Mbangu said, referring specifically to the San community.
He explained that in some cases, food rations intended for October and November 2023 only arrived in February and March 2024, while the December and January rations reached the region in June.
Bring power closer to the people
Mbangu stressed that local officials are often rendered powerless due to the top-down governance model.
“The development planner here wants to assist, but has no power. Everything has to be sent to Windhoek, and that causes unnecessary delays, even with funerals,” he said.
He has consistently advocated for the decentralisation of authority to regional councils, arguing that doing so would significantly improve procurement processes and speed up service delivery.
“When we handled distribution from the region, it was faster and more efficient,” he said.
Despite going independent, Mbangu remains confident. “I’m grounded in the community. People see the work being done and understand why I took this step. I’m confident I’ll win come November,” he stated.
Mbangu will face Swapo’s Lucas Mbangu, who recently won the Rundu Rural District Conference with 56 votes against Daniel Kavura’s 50. The regional and local authority elections are scheduled for 26 November.
[email protected]
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