NGHINOMENWA ERASTUSTHE City of Windhoek yesterday signed an agreement with the city of Kingston in Jamaica to work together on housing, tourism and municipal development projects.
Kingston is the capital city of the Caribbean island country.
The agreement was signed in the city council chambers, and covers various areas that the two cities have agreed to cooperate on.
The City of Windhoek’s chief executive officer, Robert Kahimise, said the two cities intend to work together in economic development, specifically on SMEs, providing a conducive environment for reciprocal investments, exchange of information on housing programmes and youth development, as well as the promotion of tourism and cultural exchanges.
Kahimise said the city expects to learn how to broaden its revenue base from their sister city, Kingston. He added that the purpose of formalising the twinning agreement by the two cities was to pave the way for future cooperation on mutually beneficial issues. Mayor Muesee Kazapua described the signing as a historic moment for Windhoek as it is its first cooperation agreement with the Caribbean country.
He said no city can exist in isolation, and councils should think globally when it comes to issues pertaining to their respective cities.
“The signing of this agreement with the city of Kingston today is not just a protocol procedure, but it should touch the lives of our respective people, and create a conducive environment for future agreements”, the mayor added.
Kingston senator Delroy Williams acknowledged the unity among Namibians, given their historical past.
He then called upon the two cities to embrace and catch up with technological changes, and use them to advance their respective cities. Williams added that the two cities should also cooperate to find proper and adequate housing solutions for their people.
The two cities share a common vision of making their respective cities tourist destinations, and making sure they work together and communicate on the way forward.
The Kingston delegation will be taken for a tour of the city’s three water treatment plants before they leave for the coast tomorrow. They will be in Namibia for a week.
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