Shape up or ship out

Namibian Sun has been carrying a series of articles by lawyer Silas Kishi Shakumu for the past two weeks. The articles primarily dealt with local and regional authorities, with the Shakumu going to great lengths to explain the Regional and Local Government Act. He put everything in perspective, including what is expected of elected councillors, CEOs of municipalities as well as the different functions at town and regional councils. The very same Shakumu was widely quoted in this newspaper last year when he made the assertion that some local authorities were slow in addressing the needs of poor black people, especially when it comes to water and sanitation, housing and waste management. This is unconstitutional and it is disturbing that after 25 years of independence some councillors are still attaching inferior standards to black facilities. This probably explains the mess towns as such Okahandja find themselves in. Maybe we should also ask ourselves whether elected councillors play an active role in their society. Traditionally they are supposed to be on the ground and in touch with the grassroots, while at the same time ensuring there is a participatory plan of engaging with the masses, especially on matters of service delivery. But we hardly see this nowadays. All we see is politicians coming out of their cocoons only when elections are near. For the better part of their terms, bread-and-butter issues are left unaddressed to the detriment of those who voted them into power. Instead they spend time amassing wealth and embarking on useless foreign trips which bring the nation no tangible benefits. With the local and regional authority elections looming large it is our sincere hope that politicians, especially those at grassroots level, will have to park their political arrogance and serve the masses in a dignified manner.