Windhoek-Khomas MoU sent for review amid concerns

A proposal to renew the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the City of Windhoek and the Khomas Regional Council was referred back to the management committee during last week's Thursday ordinary council meeting.

The decision was taken following concerns raised by councillors over longstanding challenges in their working relationship with constituency councillors.

During deliberations, councillors argued that while an MoU is intended to strengthen cooperation between parties, the current document does not adequately reflect the views and needs of the current council.

Councillor Ndeshihafela Larandja noted that the agreement was signed under a previous council, suggesting that although it may have served its purpose at the time, it has not effectively supported collaboration in recent years.

“It is a document meant to improve a working relationship between two parties, but this memorandum of understanding is not ours. We should own it,” she said.

Larandja said despite the existence of the MoU over the past five years, the City had experienced several challenges in its relationship with constituency councillors.

Without elaborating on the specific difficulties, she said concerns around poor relations between the two bodies had been raised previously, including during a workshop where participants reportedly agreed that the matter required urgent attention.

She stressed that the MoU should first be circulated among council members to allow them to provide meaningful input before it is considered for approval.

Complicated dynamics

Ignatius Semba echoed these concerns, saying that cooperation between local and regional authorities can not be achieved without mutual understanding and proper engagement.

“We can not work together if we are not together,” the councillor said, adding that meaningful dialogue between the City and regional structures was needed before formalising any agreement.

The councillor also highlighted the realities of Namibia’s multi-party democracy, noting that both local and regional government structures are made up of representatives from different political parties elected by the public.

According to Semba, any working arrangement must acknowledge these political dynamics while respecting both majority rule and minority rights.

Semba cautioned against entering into agreements that do not reflect the political and governance realities shaped by voters, arguing that broader consultations and proper dialogue should take place first.

Suggestions were made for regional meetings involving both local authorities and regional councils to improve communication and strengthen cooperation going forward. "Let's have proper dialogues. Let's be serious. If we want things to start happening," Semba said.

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