Come clean or face a take-over, Oshana Governor tells councils

THE Oshakati, Ongwediva and Ondangwa town councils have been told to maintain law and order and cleanliness in their towns or face their responsibilities being taken over by the Oshana Regional Council.

This warning was sounded by Governor Klemens Kashuupulwa at a press conference in Oshakati on Tuesday. In a hard-hitting speech, Kashuupulwa listed a string of demands which he wants implemented immediately.The Governor told the three mayors and their councils that, among others, all street vendors should be immediately relocated to suitable but temporary places or sites identified by the councils until permanent sites were found.Kashuupulwa’s demands came hot on the heels of a protest march by street vendors this week who handed a petition to the Governor.They complained about new by-laws which severely restrict street trading and would push most vendors to a planned Open Market.The Governor also insisted that bus and taxi owners should respect by-laws, parking lines and guidelines instituted by the councils at transport sites.He said that all towns should enforce by-laws regarding the keeping and-or movement of domestic animals at towns.Also, all house owners should keep their surroundings clean as a matter of personal hygiene at all times while business owners had a corporate responsibility to keep their business and surroundings clean.He suggested that the main road which passed through the three towns should be kept clean by the Roads Authority in collaboration with the town councils.Kashuupulwa ordered that these measures should be instituted by all the councils with immediate effect.The Oshana Governor warned that if these measures were not implemented by the councils by August 20, he, acting in his capacity as the ‘political head of the region’, reserved the right to take over any local authority that failed to carry out its delegated functions as required.”Please note that the urban nucleus of Oshakati, Ongwediva and Ondangwa is a hive of business activities throughout the year, with a marked increase of tourists flocking to this region.”Therefore we cannot afford to have dirty towns that portray a bad image to the outside world,” Kashuupulwa said.He noted that the forthcoming commemoration of August 26 at Ongulumbashe and the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair to be held from August 27 to September 4 would bring a huge influx of visitors and business dignitaries, some of whom would be from overseas.Kashuupulwa reminded the councils and their people that even President Sam Nujoma had chastised local leaders for not keeping their towns and their surroundings clean.In a hard-hitting speech, Kashuupulwa listed a string of demands which he wants implemented immediately.The Governor told the three mayors and their councils that, among others, all street vendors should be immediately relocated to suitable but temporary places or sites identified by the councils until permanent sites were found.Kashuupulwa’s demands came hot on the heels of a protest march by street vendors this week who handed a petition to the Governor.They complained about new by-laws which severely restrict street trading and would push most vendors to a planned Open Market.The Governor also insisted that bus and taxi owners should respect by-laws, parking lines and guidelines instituted by the councils at transport sites.He said that all towns should enforce by-laws regarding the keeping and-or movement of domestic animals at towns.Also, all house owners should keep their surroundings clean as a matter of personal hygiene at all times while business owners had a corporate responsibility to keep their business and surroundings clean.He suggested that the main road which passed through the three towns should be kept clean by the Roads Authority in collaboration with the town councils.Kashuupulwa ordered that these measures should be instituted by all the councils with immediate effect.The Oshana Governor warned that if these measures were not implemented by the councils by August 20, he, acting in his capacity as the ‘political head of the region’, reserved the right to take over any local authority that failed to carry out its delegated functions as required.”Please note that the urban nucleus of Oshakati, Ongwediva and Ondangwa is a hive of business activities throughout the year, with a marked increase of tourists flocking to this region.”Therefore we cannot afford to have dirty towns that portray a bad image to the outside world,” Kashuupulwa said.He noted that the forthcoming commemoration of August 26 at Ongulumbashe and the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair to be held from August 27 to September 4 would bring a huge influx of visitors and business dignitaries, some of whom would be from overseas.Kashuupulwa reminded the councils and their people that even President Sam Nujoma had chastised local leaders for not keeping their towns and their surroundings clean.