Karas Regional Council plans building a convention centre

THE Karas Regional Council plans to build a state-of-the-art convention centre at Keetmanshoop to attract major events to the southern town.

This was revealed by the Karas governor Bernadus Swartbooi when he launched the Keetmanshoop Agricultural and Industrial Show, which starts on September 5. Swartbooi said the centre would be a major development for the region.He has already started talks with Trade and Industry Minister Hage Geingob about the construction of the centre.’Gone are the days of continuous infighting in the region without any end in sight. Gone are days when the region’s inhabitants were idling and blaming others for not benefiting from the economic opportunities. The time has come for us to focus on socio-economic development,’ Swartbooi said. Swartbooi, whose office was instrumental in sourcing funding for the show, revealed that the Show Society has raised N$400 000 from sponsors to host this year’s show..According to Swartbooi, last year’s show recorded a 400 per cent growth in visitor numbers and 200 per cent growth in the number of exhibitors.’This year’s show will be bigger and better than last year. There is no doubt that the Keetmanshoop Show grows at a fast rate,’ said Swartbooi. In his message, Show Society president Leon Van Wyk said there was still room for improvement, calling for community involvement in the show’s activities. ‘We need your physical involvement, wisdom and even criticism. This can be a helping tool in marketing the show,’ said Van Wyk. luqman@namibian.com.na