Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba has called on his cabinet to focus on providing basic amenities to the rural areas. He made the call during his last cabinet meeting for this year. President Pohamba said there was the need for his ministers to re-evaluate their action plans to better the lives of all Namibians. He said that the success of his administration depends on the efficiency of the ministers.
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is Namibia’s Minister of Information. She talked about President Pohamba’s call.
“He addressed the last cabinet of the year, and in that cabinet meeting, the President made an assessment or review of the progress that has been achieved in the course of the calendar year, at the same time giving directives to us,” she noted.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the President has always been championing improvement of the country’s rural areas.
“Since his inauguration, President Pohamba has been focusing on rural development because he would want to see that the rural communities are developed to make sure that they are able to sustain their livelihood and at the same time to reduce the congestion of the population in towns,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said President Pohamba charged his cabinet to be proactive and co-operate among themselves to make the government’s developmental plan a reality.
“The President had directed that as we come back in the New Year, we should really intensify the coordination between different departments of the government. Self-delivery and efficiency has always been the President’s call, and it’s very important that our cabinet has decided for the establishment of the public service institute,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She said the government is improving the lives of people in rural areas by providing them with clean water.
“One area that was given special attention and a significant improvement is the provision of clean water,” she said. “Another area is the improvement of communication by way of the construction of roads, and then the President alluded yesterday that the government had given a license to a second cellular operator to improve upon communication in the rural areas.”
Elaborating on the government’s priority in helping rural Namibians to share their ideas, Nandi-Ndaitwah stressed Windhoek’s commitment to opening up communications channels.
“We realize the important role communication can play,” she said, “because if people can receive information where they are, then they will get empowered there.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah explained some of the challenges Pohamba’s government is facing.
“The biggest challenge Namibia is having is the lack of necessary skills, and that is why the government decided on establishing a public service institute so that we can develop the necessary skills. Another challenge we are having is the vastness of the country. And to put up infrastructure is not easy…You really have to see what is more economically sound. It’s a very big challenge,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
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