ǃNawases-Taeyele says public trust is earned
Citizens place high hopes in local leaders
As the level of government that is closest to the citizenry, the effectiveness of local government institutions or councils, or the lack thereof, is one of the key indicators that citizens use to judge the effectiveness of the government in general.
It is crucial for local leadership to gain the trust of the public, Evelyn ǃNawases-Taeyele, the recently appointed urban and rural deputy minister, said last week.
She was speaking at a general meeting of the Namibia National Mayors Forum in Lüderitz on Thursday.
ǃNawases-Taeyele told the mayors in attendance that they are at the forefront of the nation's various issues.
"When people entrust us with these responsibilities, they have high hopes and expectations upon electing us. That's why it is very important for us to understand the demands of the people," she emphasised.
“As the level of government that is closest to the citizenry, the effectiveness of local government institutions or councils, or the lack thereof, is one of the key indicators that the citizens use in judging the effectiveness of the government in general," she said in a statement.
Big responsibility
In addition, ǃNawases-Taeyele said mayors are faced with a "daunting but not insurmountable responsibility," and the public has big expectations for the leaders.
"On the one hand, and the challenges in terms of resources and capacity on the other hand, require you to think outside the box and to think strategically and innovatively. As the saying goes, there is power and strength in unity. Our president even puts it better when he rallies all of us to pull together in the same direction."
She added: "I have no doubt the vision behind the establishment of the mayor's forum is to create a platform for frank and meaningful dialogue, peer-to-peer learning, and exchanges of experiences and best practices."
She said the forum "must serve to harness, channel, and translate the different strengths, capacities, and positive learnings into effective and impactful leadership for the benefit of the citizenry."
She was speaking at a general meeting of the Namibia National Mayors Forum in Lüderitz on Thursday.
ǃNawases-Taeyele told the mayors in attendance that they are at the forefront of the nation's various issues.
"When people entrust us with these responsibilities, they have high hopes and expectations upon electing us. That's why it is very important for us to understand the demands of the people," she emphasised.
“As the level of government that is closest to the citizenry, the effectiveness of local government institutions or councils, or the lack thereof, is one of the key indicators that the citizens use in judging the effectiveness of the government in general," she said in a statement.
Big responsibility
In addition, ǃNawases-Taeyele said mayors are faced with a "daunting but not insurmountable responsibility," and the public has big expectations for the leaders.
"On the one hand, and the challenges in terms of resources and capacity on the other hand, require you to think outside the box and to think strategically and innovatively. As the saying goes, there is power and strength in unity. Our president even puts it better when he rallies all of us to pull together in the same direction."
She added: "I have no doubt the vision behind the establishment of the mayor's forum is to create a platform for frank and meaningful dialogue, peer-to-peer learning, and exchanges of experiences and best practices."
She said the forum "must serve to harness, channel, and translate the different strengths, capacities, and positive learnings into effective and impactful leadership for the benefit of the citizenry."
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