To: Office of the Chief Change Campaigner
Attention: Leader Eneas Emvula
From: Barnabas Kambara (LPM Leader/MC Chairperson)
Date: 8/11/ 2021
Subject: Arandis Town Councillor Report of Activities, Programmes and Projects
I greet you together with the entire established leadership structures of our alternative, dynamic and authentic Party of the people LPM in the marvellous name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
See below detailed report:
Induction:
| Type | Key role-players/presenters | Date/timeframe |
| LA councillors and administrators induction | MURD | January 2021 |
| LA councillors internal induction | ATC executives | January 2021 |
| NALAO | NALAO | May 2021 |
Local LPM branch meetings:
| Type | Key role-players/presenters | Date/timeframe |
| Local LPM branch update and strategizing meeting | LOC | February 2021 |
| LPM LA councillors and leadership, Mariental | LPM National level | April 2021 |
(There was one regional assessment visit scheduled during June, but postponed due to COVID-19 regulations)
Coalition caucus meetings:
| Type | Key role-players/presenters | Number |
| Update and strategizing meeting | Coalition branch leaders and LA coalition councillors | 4 |
| Weekly coalition caucus meeting | LA coalition councillors | 8 |
MC/OCM Meetings:
| Type | Key role-players/presenters | Number |
| MC meeting | LA Councillors/executives | 5 |
| OCM meeting | LA Councillors/ ATC executives | 5 |
Public meeting:
| Type | Key role-players/presenters | Number |
| Public meeting | LA councillors/executives | 1 |
| Prepaid water meter consultative meeting | LA councillors/executives | 6 |
Motions tabled:
- MOTION: Residential Land and Housing Application list review and formulation: as there was no official regulating procedure in place that could verify applicants that applied for land, it was causing a lot of unpleasant situations of frustration and unsatisfactory to our community members. Therefore it was best to review and come up with a process that is traceable, fair and responding to the demand of land in Arandis Local authority area.
- MOTION MOVED WITHOUT OPPOSITION: Engaging Low Costs Housing Programmes to accelerate Housing development in local area: many of the housing development in Arandis is spearheaded by private developers and this escalates hosing costs for the community and adds to the already complex delivery of housing. This even makes it difficult for low earning groups to get their housing needs met. In essence to the above dilemma the motion was moved to create a sustainable innovative solution. Arandis is one of the towns in Namibia that at this moment does not have shacks, we want to maintain that and accelerate housing development so that it does not come to that in near future.
- MOTION MOVED WITHOUT OPPOSITION: Renaming Street in honour Mr. Eckhart Mueller and place monument at NIMT in his honour: Mr. Eckhart Mueller the founder and director of NIMT and his deputy were brutally murdered at the NIMT campus in Arandis on 16 April 2019; this was widely published national and international media. He and his team were responsible for building NIMT into a formidable institution, whereby young Namibians in particular from the previously disadvantaged communities benefited. He had been 28 years at the helm of the institution until that fateful day of his demise sadly.
Local LED matters:
Local water plant and Electricity generation Projects are identified and numerous potential investors had approached by council to present their projects viability, take off and Joint Venture MoU’s are still pending finalisation processes.
- GYPSUM factory
- Logistic HUB
- AERTMC (Arandis Emergency Response Traffic Management Centre)
- CYMOT Garment factory, Gumboot Factory
- Uunoo Investment coal factory
These projects have combined potential to create about 1500 to 2000 jobs for the locals and are at advanced stages of implementation.
Challenges:
HR matters:
- some employees just after COALTION got in leadership positions are now almost over 11 months not reporting to work presenting doctor’s letters and citing ailment that does not allow them to work, but they get full salaries and when there are events they are part.
- HR officer has lodged grievances against Corporate Services Manager Mr. JJ Strauss during January 2021 and CEO has dragged on till March when employee lodged his unhappiness to me, when I request explanation CEO mentions that the matter was outsourced without consulting me as MC Chairperson.
- This has led me to convene two uncomfortable meetings with CEO about this particular matter and aforementioned HR matters. Until date this matter has not been resolved, every time CEO comes up with excuses to delay process last meeting was planned for Friday, 30th July 2021 which could not take place.
Training for councillors:
- There is no training on Finance, HR and Corporate Governance and other leadership skills done for council members as most are new into the LA system, apart from inductions, they come from different background.
- On my intervention there is a probable training scheduled on team building, HR, corporate governance and psychosocial aspect and leadership when COVID-19 regulations change to take place.
Public/Community meetings:
- The administrator’s advices council not to convene public meetings, or even to engage public in general. I have observed that there are many allegations of maladministration and corruption perception from public. A lot of secrecy in council from junior to senior officials in as little as town maps to public, council minutes etc.
- Public resort to insults, violence towards council staff members and SWAPO councillors as in the first of our recent Public meeting during April 2021.
Strategic Plan:
- Strategic Plan and Performance Reviewing is a huge back and forth, to align to the mandates of each party representative especially council administration in particular the CEO is very reluctant to share details and have tactics to withhold vital information.
Old Rössing Houses:
- Old Rössing Houses are posing a challenges as many people that has left town return after many years now that town is blooming and claim back houses they left with huge bills and debilitated condition that council has renovated and sold to other residents. Houses sold to new owners while deed is on another person’s name.
Build together programme:
- Old Rössing houses were given to beneficiaries and no new houses built as in other towns. This matter causes a lot of unhappiness amongst beneficiaries as their repayment is not recorded and they end up in huge debt.
Tendering process:
- As councillors we are by regulation not part of any tendering procedures and CEO and the technocrats are not cooperative to assist us in looking into allegations from community on matters of irregularities, especially the granting of tenders to one prominent business person and that his partner an employee of council is part of the tender processes is what is claimed by community.
- In March 2021, I requested a detailed report on tenders that was issued since 2018 till date to validate the allegations, but it is still not given, as CEO claims that he has to get permission from Tendering Board to make information accessible to me as MC Chairperson.
- I have so far engaged Forensic specialist Mr Nico Smith recommended to me by late Mayor of Rehoboth Councillor Rudy Louw unofficially, who has advised us to obtain enough incriminating and substantive evidence of the allegations and many other corruption allegations that are in community to be addressed. Community has so much to allege but not presenting factual evidence other than talking.
Portfolios Local Committees:
- SWAPO councillors wants to have key portfolios like LED, Infrastructure and Education, and we have sadly observed that CEO is assisting the SWAPO camp and also the fact that we have one SWAPO councillor on MC gives us challenges as information goes out even before discussions, until date portfolios for local committees are not been officiated for committees as it is a burning issues and CEO plays delay tactics in resolving matter.
ALAN Representative:
- I have been elected as ALAN representative for Arandis Town Council.
- After CEO was trying so hard to withhold vital information from COALITION councillors and assisted SWAPO councillors by all means to get their own SWAPO councillor into the ALAN position. COALITION councillors has interrogate the matter in depth until all relevant information was made available and voted for me as their preferred representative.
Covid-19 response:
- After seeing some activities on the ground raised by community being overlooked and the fact that Arandis results been counted together in Swakopmund results it was hard to convince and mobilise the community without results to change behaviour and observe regulations.
- I have personally as a leader approached MoHSS and arranged meetings with Chief Medical Officer to assess their challenges, needs and also some of community concerns was brought to their attention and thereby a plan was put together.
- CEO was from the onset very sceptical citing they did similar activities last year that was unsuccessful and RDRMC and how the Governor has things under control, which was not the case in reality. Nonetheless I insisted and informed other COALITION leaders whereby we requested several donations e.g. hospital beds, oxygen Cylinders, etc. we got the support from Rössing Uranium but to our surprise Governor took all the glory and received donations and it was decided through his office how it was to be distributed etc.
- Recently the LDRMC was reactivated established through the section 17 of the Disaster Risk Management Act, 2021 (Act No. 10 of 2012) and I am also part of the committee.
- Covid-19 vaccination campaign starts 1 August till 15 August for Arandis local authority area.
Decisions taken on challenges:
- Councillors in Coalition have agreed to Review Contract of CEO as well as his powers and revoke any powers that previous council has given him.
- Councillors in Coalition agreed to terminate ongoing HR outsourced services for the HR officer grievance as it was not discussed in principal and matter has not concluded on a timely basis
- Portfolios with strategic key decision making should be taken up by Coalition leaders without any more delays
- Having more public engagements on service provision should be prioritised for councillors
- Demand full tenderers list and restructuring Local Tendering Committee
- On matters to ALAN I strongly remain in agreement on LPM party stance as to recently created Mayors and Chairperson Forum.
- To get full reports on Old Rössing houses and Build Together and Shack dwellers and make resolution on the matters.
I am grateful to be part of the LPM family, also in the same vein would like to express my greatest appreciation to LCCC Hon. Bernadus Swaartbooi for the eagles eye vision, boldness of a lion and genuineness for social justice and unmatched work rate and wisdom from above.
Lastly to the entire established leadership structures of LPM, I am grateful and yet humbled to see on a daily basis the seriousness, selflessness, determination and excellence in executing the ideologies of the party in full force. A party in its infant stages yet the wealth of human resource capacity, ethnic diversity and team spirit is astounding.
Thanks for the opportunity that is presented to me at this point in time to serve my generation to the best of my abilities as God helps me. I SALUTE you All!!!
Yours Faithfully
Barnabas Kambara
LPM Leader and Management Committee Chairperson, Arandis Town Council
Private Bag 7002 | Arandis | Namibia
M: +264 (0)81 8656322, email: bkambara@gmail.com
