Northern towns demand municipal status

Tuyeimo HaidulaOSHAKATIOndangwa, Oshakati and Ongwediva authorities are demanding that the government elevate them to municipality status before 2025.Seven months ago, the three northern towns were urged to upgrade to municipal status by urban and rural development deputy minister, Natalia /Goagoses.On Monday, the chief executive officers of the towns informed Oshana governor Elia Irimari that they had submitted proposals to the ministry, which advised them to wait for a reform paper.However, Ongwediva spokesperson Jackson Muma said no timeframe was given.Deserve statusThe local authorities claim that over the past years they have managed to attract necessary investments, population growth, and demonstrated prudent financial management, sufficient for them to be elevated to municipal status.The three councils told Irimari that they are doing well economically and are ready to become municipalities.They also shared their disappointment with Irimari that, for the past 32 years, no local authority beyond the red line had been elevated to municipal status.Among the benefits of being declared a municipality are an increased central government budget allocation as well as attracting top service providers to boost development.The Local Authorities Act shows that achieving municipal status depends on financial independence from government.Patience is virtue/Goagoses admitted that they have not given the three town’s a timeframe for when their request will be processed, but insisted that it will be “very soon”.She said this is a very important aspect of development, and she believes the towns are experiencing rapid growth through urbanisation.“In life, we are growing. And evidently, these towns have grown enough that they should get a different status. They cannot, for example, have the same status as Rehoboth town council because, in my view, they are not at the same level of development,” /Goagoses said.She said the ministry is currently at an advanced stage with the reform paper.“There are a few aspects contained in the reform paper that speak to local authorities’ economic requirements. The reform is also talking abut the abolishment of village councils. They should hang on a little bit. The reform is long overdue,” /Goagoses said.She said the ministry recently met and had discussions with the Association for Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN) to finalise consultations on the document./Goagoses said ideally, once the reform is passed, village councils must become town councils.tuyeimo@namibiansun.com

Northern towns demand municipal status

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Northern towns demand municipal status

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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